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

MAHWAH, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (12-6, 3-0 NJAC) fought back from an 8-3 deficit in the nightcap to earn a doubleheader sweep at Ramapo (10-8, 0-2 NJAC), 10-8 and 13-9, March 29.

The Pioneers scattered 10 runs across three innings during the opener, ripping 10 hits in their 11th win of the season. The scoring started in the top of the second inning when the Pioneers' Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, N.J./Bergen Catholic) walked to lead off, advanced to third on a single by Vince Joyce (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Wallkill Valley), and crossed home plate on a RBI-single from Andrue Laguerre (Jersey City, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep). With two outs, Dan Limone (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) drove a single to the shortstop, bringing home Joyce, and Will Courter (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) followed with an infield single of his own, crossing Laguerre, for a 3-0 lead. Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) belted a two-run single to center field before the Roadrunners closed out the inning with a groundball to second base from Perrone, the leadoff batter, for a 5-0 score.

Ramapo closed the gap in the third inning, 5-2, off three hits from Ryan Paxton, Jairo Jimenez, and Aaron Drury.

Another big inning for the Pioneers came in the top of the fifth with four runs scoring on four hits. Courter walked to lead off and later scored on a Perrone double, while Joyce singled to left field to drive in Perrone and Guadango. Laguerre hit a sac fly to left field, scoring Joyce for a 9-2 Pioneer lead after 4.5 innings.

Ramapo's bats came alive in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jimenez doubled to lead off and junior Gino Gallagher followed with a hard-hit triple, scoring Jimenez. Drury reached on an error, Gallagher scored on the play, and Skyler Conte stepped to the plate to pinch hit with no outs. Conte drew a walk and was replaced on base by pinch runner John McGuckin. Both Drury and McGuckin advanced on a passed ball before a ground ball to the pitcher put one out on the board for Ramapo. Senior centerfielder Nick Sbarra drove in two runs with a double to center field, and after Sbarra stole third base, an infield error put Paxton on first base and Sbarra on the scoreboard to come within two, 9-7.

In the eighth inning, Mark Ruggiero hit a RBI-single, scoring Gallagher who drew a walk with a runner on first, to come within one, but a one-two-three bottom of the ninth for Ramapo kept the Pioneers on top 10-8. William Paterson's Perrone tacked on the final run on a passed ball after reaching on an error to start off the ninth.

Joyce led the Pioneers, hitting 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Laguerre went 2-for-4 with one run and two runs-batted-in. Guadango added a 2-for-5 performance, driving in a pair of runs.

Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) earned the win for the Pioneers, improving to 4-0, while Jack McDonough took the loss (3-1), striking out five and walking three. Senior Steve VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock) picked up the save (two), throwing 2.2 innings of one-run relief. McDonough gave up nine runs on eight hits in four innings of work. Zirul allowed 10 hits and seven runs, five earned, in 6.1 innings and struck out four while walking five.

In game two, the Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning before the Roadrunners posted six in the bottom of the second to grab a four-run edge. A Guadango home run made it a 6-3 game in the third, but the Roadrunners tacked on a run in each of the third and fourth innings (8-3). The Pioneers woke up their bats, pulling within one in the fifth on five hits and two Ramapo errors. Limone scampered home after an error by the catcher, John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley) drove in Perrone, and Laguerre plated a pair with a single to right.

What turned out to be the game-winning run came in the sixth inning after Perrone hit a double with one out, bringing in Courter and Guadango for a 9-8 edge. Joyce later laid down a sacrifice bunt, scoring Perrone for a 10-8 lead after six.

The Pioneers added three more in the eighth to Ramapo's one in the bottom of the inning, taking the game, 13-8, in eight innings due to darkness.

Courter and Guadango were each 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Elia went 2-for-4 and Perrone hit 2-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.

Paul Ciccazzo suffered the loss for Ramapo, falling to 1-1 on the year, while Chris Mongelli (Riverdale, N.J./Pompton Lakes) pitched six innings, striking out two and walking two to improve to 2-1. VandeVrede again helped shut the door, throwing 2.0 innings of relief and allowing just three hits and one run.

The Pioneers will host the College of Staten Island Tuesday, April 1, for a nine-inning game at 3:30 p.m.