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

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (9-8, 2-1 NJAC) bounced back from an 8-7 game-one loss to defeat Ramapo (7-7, 1-1 NJAC) 8-4 during the night cap in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) baseball action March 28 at Pioneer Baseball Park.

GAME ONE
Ramapo won a see-saw 8-7 battle during the opener, a game that saw three lead changes and an opening inning that lasted nearly an hour.

The Roadrunners used six singles and a walk to score five runs during their first at-bat. In all, 10 hitters stepped to the plate for Ramapo during the first half inning, and Joey Cacchiola, Mike Manges, Joseph Della Serra and Tim Gaven each drove in runs with base hits, for the early 5-0 lead.

The Pioneers fought back, though, crossing the plate four times during the home half of the first. After Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) reached on a one-out error, senior Will Courter's (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) single was followed by a John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley) RBI-base hit up the middle to score Guadango. A strikeout was followed by a Don Hays (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) run-scoring single, then a Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) RBI-base hit to center field, making it a 5-3 score. After Ramapo made a pitching change and inserted Tim Hannes, William Paterson drew two straight walks, including a bases-loaded free pass issued to Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst), to trim the Roadrunners' lead to one at 5-4.

All told, the first inning took 53 minutes to complete and featured nine total runs, nine singles, three walks and 20 batters.

The two teams settled into a defensive rhythm until the bottom of the fourth, when William Paterson plated three runners to take its first lead of the game. A popup, Dorio walk, and flyout led to a Guadango double to the gap in left-center field, scoring Dorio from first base and tying the game at 5-5. Courter then hit a grounder to the first baseman, and Hannes dropped the throw to the bag, allowing Guadango to race home and give the Pioneers a 6-5 edge. Elia followed with a single to center field, and reliever Michael Murano gave up a Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) base hit through the right side of the infield, driving in Courter for a 7-5 game.

Della Serra tied the score at 7-7 with a two-run double for Ramapo in the top of the fifth, and the Roadrunners broke the deadlock in the seventh inning when Della Serra hit a one-out double to the base of the wall in right field and Gaven later singled down the left-field line with two outs to drive him in, nudging the visiting team ahead, 8-7.

Della Serra was 4-for-5 for Ramapo, including two doubles, and contributed three RBI and two runs scored. Junior first baseman Pete Sita also had four hits in five at-bats.

Guadango was 3-for-5 with a double, RBI and two runs scored for the Pioneers. Elia and Hays each belted out a pair of hits.

Jack McDonough started for the Roadrunners but was lifted after 0.2 inning and allowing four unearned runs. Murano , who entered during the fourth inning, picked up the victory (1-0) after throwing 3.2 scoreless innings and giving up three hits. Classmate Joey Cacchiola earned his first save of the year, pitching the final 1.2 innings and striking out three Pioneers, and he also was 2-for-5 at the plate as the team's designated hitter.

Senior Dan VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) fell to 2-2, as the WP starter allowed 16 hits and eight runs (seven earned).

GAME TWO
Tied at 3-3 in the middle of the third inning, William Paterson punched across three runners in the third and two more in the fourth en route to an 8-4 win.

Della Serra led off the top of the second inning with a single, advanced to second base on a groundout and moved to third on a wild pitch before Michael McGuckin hit a sacrifice fly to hand the Roadrunners the early 1-0 lead.

Somers and Miguel Lugo (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's) each drove in runs with singles, and Somers later trotted home on a wild pitch, to push William Paterson ahead 3-1 during the home half of the second.

Sita doubled in Cacchiola, and Joseph Somma later drew a bases-loaded walk, to tie the contest at 3-3 in the third, but the Pioneers immediately re-took the lead with three runs during the bottom of the same inning. Moran plated Elia and Courter with his double to left-center field, and a Hays sac fly later allowed Moran to cross the plate, for a 6-3 WP advantage.

Manges singled in a run for the Roadrunners, while Courter drove in a score for the Pioneers with a base hit up the middle and later crossed home plate on a balk, for an 8-4 game after four innings.

Elia was 3-for-4 while scoring a run, Moran went 3-for-4 and hit a double, and Courter was 2-for-4 and crossed home plate twice.

Sita again led the Roadrunners at the plate, the only player with a multi-hit game thanks to a 2-for-5 effort.

Freshman starter Steve Coral (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley) improved to 2-1 with 6.0 innings of four-run ball. Sophomore reliever Ryan Steidl (Randolph, N.J./Morris Knolls), who struck out the only two batters he faced in relief during the day's first game, pitched the final 3.0 innings and scattered three hits, striking out six hitters without issuing a walk.

Cacchiola allowed six runs in 2.0 innings on the mound as the Roadrunners' starter (2-2).

The Pioneers will next play Tuesday, March 31, at Union at 4:00 p.m. Ramapo will host St. Joseph's-Long Island March 31 at 3:30 p.m.