Box Score (Game #1)
Box Score (Game #2)

PURCHASE, N.Y. – The William Paterson softball team (9-5) earned a pair of hard-fought wins at Manhattanville (2-12), 4-1 and 6-4, March 26.

During the opening game of the twin bill, the game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth, when junior Ana Abourashed (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) doubled in freshman Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North). The Valiants answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, but William Paterson won the game with three runs in the seventh. Sophomore Chelsea Winkelspecht (Sicklerville, N.J./Washington Twp.) singled, stole second and scored after classmate Katelyn Braun (Philadelphia, Pa./Gloucester Catholic) reached on an error. Braun then trotted home after sophomore Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) reached base on an error, and Zippler later scored after a Nadolny single.

Abourashed had two of the Pioneers' five hits. Senior Diana Schraer (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) threw the complete-game victory (6-1), allowing seven hits and one earned run in 7.0 innings.

Manhattanville took the early lead in the night cap, scoring a single run in the bottom of the first. A Zippler home run tied the score in the third, and William Paterson took the lead with three scores in the fourth.

WP tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth with a two-run Winkelspecht single. Manhattanville scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and had the tying run at the plate, but the Pioneers were able to induce a groundout to end the threat.

Winkelspecht was 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Braun was 2-for-5. 

Freshman Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings for the win (2-2). Sophomore Danielle Ballard (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) threw the final 2.2 innings, giving up one hit in scoreless relief.

William Paterson will begin New Jersey Athletic Conference play Saturday, March 29, hosting Rutgers-Newark in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.