Box Score 

CHANDLER, ARIZ. – The William Paterson baseball team (5-5) dropped a 21-9 decision against Western New England (5-3) at the Greater Phoenix Invitational March 19.

Freshman shortstop Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) was 3-for-5, driving in a run and scoring another for the Pioneers, while junior all-American Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) was 2-for-4 with a two-run home run. Senior center fielder John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley) went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, and senior first baseman Will Courter (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) scored twice as part of a 2-for-5 day.

WNEC scored five times in the third before William Paterson crossed the plate twice during the bottom of the fifth inning, thanks to run-scoring hits by Don Hays (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst). Western New England opened up an 11-2 advantage with six runs in the sixth, followed by back-to-back bases-loaded walks for the Pioneers during the home half of the inning to make it an 11-4 game.

After three WNEC runs, Guadango hit a two-run round-tripper to left-center field and Elia blasted a solo shot to left during the seventh. William Paterson's final runs came during the eighth inning courtesy of a Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) RBI-single up the middle and a Somers run-scoring single to right-center.

Senior Dan VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) suffered the loss (2-1), allowing 14 hits and 11 runs (four earned) in 5.2 innings. Sophomore Kyle Schlemm (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) threw 1.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits, and freshman Tom Aiellos (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) pitched the final 2.0 innings, surrendering six hits and seven runs (six earned).

The Pioneers will finish play at the Greater Phoenix Invitational with a doubleheader against Augsburg Friday, March 20, at 12:00 p.m. PT.