Box Score 

CHANDLER, ARIZ. – Senior center fielder John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley) was 4-for-6 with two doubles and a pair of RBI, while sophomore left fielder Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) was 4-for-6 with two doubles, a triple and three RBI, to lead a 21-hit outburst by the William Paterson baseball team (5-4) in an 18-11 victory against Concordia (2-6) at the Greater Phoenix Invitational March 18.

Trailing 5-0 after the first inning, the Pioneers posted seven runs during their next two at-bats. Moran doubled in Elia and freshman Vin Fondacaro (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) plated Moran with a sacrifice fly in the top of the second, while Elia and Fondacaro each had RBI-singles and senior designated hitter Derek Koppinger (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) drove in three more runs with a single to right field during the third inning, giving William Paterson a 7-5 lead.

After Concordia tied the contest with a pair of scores in the bottom of the third, the Pioneers crossed the plate twice in the fourth after senior Will Courter (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) tripled to lead off the inning, followed by a Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) run-scoring single and later a Moran RBI-triple.

Concordia again tied the game with two runs during the bottom of the fourth, but RBI-hits by Courter and Elia, and a steal of home by Koppinger, made it a 12-9 score.

A Vin Ganz (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross) sacrifice fly pushed William Paterson ahead 13-10 in the top of the sixth, and Ganz's two-run triple and Anthony Dorio's (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) sac fly made it a 16-11 game in the eighth.

Moran doubled in Elia, followed by a Zak Rose (Nutley, N.J./St. Mary Rutherford) single that plated Moran, to finish the scoring during the top of the ninth inning.

Koppiner was 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Courter, Guadano and J.D. Melendez (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional) each had a pair of hits. Freshman Dan Alcala (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley) picked up the victory with 5.2 innings of relief, surrendering eight hits and six runs (five earned), while junior Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) earned his first save by throwing the final 3.1 innings, striking out three and walking two while allowing just one hit.

The Pioneers will take on Western New England Thursday, March 19, at 9:30 a.m. PT at the Greater Phoenix Invitational.