Box Score
PURCHASE, N.Y. – William Paterson (7-6) jumped out to an early lead but could not hold on, as host Manhattanville (10-4) rallied for a 12-10 baseball victory March 25.
With the wind blowing out strongly to left field, the teams combined to hit four home runs over the first three innings, but no ball was hit further than the Valiants' Dan Needleman's. The junior smacked a 3-2 pitch way out to left-center field with the score tied at eight, chasing Pioneer starter Greg Stokes (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Indian Hills) and giving the Valiants a lead they would not relinquish at 11-8 in the third inning.
William Paterson opened up its big lead in the first thanks to a couple of Valiant errors and a three-run home run by John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley). The Pioneers drew two walks but also had only two hits in taking a 5-0 edge.
Manhattanville came right back with four in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a throwing error by Stokes to open the inning. With runners on first and second and no one out, Stephen Pinto hit a double into the gap in left to bring in one, and A.J. Triano followed with a long sacrifice fly to score another. With Pinto still aboard with one out, Jeff Dunn launched his second home run of the year to score a pair and bring the Valiants back within one.
But the Pioneers answered right back with three runs in the top of the second inning, again using the longball to their advantage. Vince Joyce (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley) did the damage this time, taking a Tim Quinn pitch over the wall in left with two outs to extend the William Paterson lead to 8-4.
After a relatively uneventful bottom of the second and top of the third, Manhattanville's bats came to life once more in the seven-run home third. Paul Blejec opened the inning with a double and moved to third on a Pinto bunt single. After Pinto stole second, Triano singled in both runners to cut the deficit to 8-6. Dunn singled home Triano – who had moved to second on his run-scoring hit – to cut the lead to one, and two batters later freshman Alex Braverman singled in the tying run. That set the stage for Needleman, who gave the Valiants the lead for the first time at 11-8.
Elia plated Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, N.J./Bergen Catholic) with a single, and Derek Koppinger (Columbia, N.J./North Warren) drove in Scott Fischer (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Pascack Hills) with a groundout, for an 11-10 score in the seventh. Manhattanville tacked on an unearned run in the bottom of the inning for the final 12-10 decision.
William Paterson got three hits and four RBI from Elia, and two hits each from Joyce and Perrone. Stokes lasted only 2.1 innings and took the loss (0-2), but relievers Mark Robbins (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest), Dan VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock) and Chris Mongelli (Riverdale, N.J./Pompton Lakes) did not allow an earned run over 5.2 innings.
William Paterson will return to Pioneer Baseball Park Wednesday, March 26, hosting SUNY Oneonta at 3:00 p.m.
