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

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – William Paterson (4-3) bounced back from a 9-7 loss during the first game to defeat Roger Williams (2-3), 11-5 in game two, during a seven-inning baseball doubleheader at the Greater Phoenix Invitational March 16.

GAME ONE
William Paterson built an early 4-0 lead, but could not hold on in a 9-7 loss to the Hawks. Senior center fielder John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley) gave the Pioneers the early edge with his first-inning grand slam to left-center field, but Roger Williams answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the second and a five-run fourth inning, taking a 7-4 lead. A two-RBI double in the fifth made it a 9-4 score, but William Paterson continued to fight back, crossing the plate twice thanks to a Derek Koppinger (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) fielder's choice in the sixth. In the seventh, junior all-American Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) was hit by a pitch to lead off, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third after a flyout by Elia. Freshman J.D. Melendez's (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional) fielder's choice plated Guadango, and following a Don Hays (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) single, WP had runners on first and second with two outs and trailing by two, but a groundout ended the Pioneers' comeback hopes.

Guadango was 2-for-2 and scored two runs, Hays was 2-for-3, and Elia was 1-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Ryan Steidl (Randolph, N.J./Morris Knolls) suffered the loss (0-1), surrendering seven hits and nine earned runs in 4.1 innings. Freshmen J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) and Dan Alcala (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley) combined to throw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

GAME TWO
Sophomore Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) was 3-for-3 with a double and three runs scored to lead the Pioneers to an 11-5 win during the night cap.

After Roger Williams scored a single run during the game's first at-bat, William Paterson put six runs on the board during the bottom of the first. Courter and Andrue Laguerre (Jersey City, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) ran home on a Guadango single, while Marc Palestina (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) drove in Elia with a single to right. Moran's double forced in two more runners, and a Zak Rose (Nutley, N.J./St. Mary Rutherford) single to center gave the Pioneers the 6-1 edge.

The Hawks scored twice during the top of the second, but a third-inning Laguerre sacrifice fly kept WP out in front by a comfortable 7-3 score.

Roger Williams got one of those runs back with a RBI-single in the fourth before Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) knocked in Moran with a fifth-inning single, and Elia drove in a run with a single and Palestina hit a two-RBI single to right-center in the bottom of the sixth for an 11-4 advantage. The Hawks tacked on a final run thanks to a seventh-inning RBI-single.

Guadango was 3-for-4 for the Pioneers, while Palestina was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Freshman Steve Coral (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley) threw a complete game (1-0), allowing 10 hits and five earned runs to pick up the victory.

The Pioneers will take on Keene State Tuesday, March 17, at 1:30 p.m. PT at the Greater Phoenix Invitational.