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

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – William Paterson improved to 13-1 overall and began New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) softball play with a doubleheader sweep at New Jersey City (6-10, 0-2 NJAC) March 28. The Pioneers earned an easy 13-0 five-inning victory during the opener, and won the second game, 2-1 in eight innings.

GAME ONE
William Paterson banged out 15 hits, nine of them for extra bases, for an opening 13-0 victory in five innings.

Senior Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) was 4-for-4, including a double and a triple, while driving in two runs. Sophomore Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North) scored twice and was 2-for-3 with a double, classmate Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) had a double and home run as part of a 2-for-4 effort with three RBI and two runs scored, and sophomore Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) was 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) went 2-for-3, and classmate Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech) hit a three-run home run.

Mulderig singled in Mendez, and Reilly plated Mulderig with a triple, to give the Pioneers a 2-0 second-inning lead. Mendez then belted a three-run homer during the top of the third inning, followed by a seven-run outburst in the fourth. Junior third baseman Casey Sierra (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) led off the inning with a double and scored on Reilly's single, Nadolny was hit by a pitch, and both she and Reilly scored on Vitale's home run. Senior Ana Abourashed (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) then singled to left field and Mendez doubled to left-center before both touched home plate thanks to Jimmerson's round-tripper.

William Paterson scored one more run in the fifth inning, when Nadolny singled, advanced to second on a groundout, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by sophomore first baseman Ashlie Gaynor (Berlin, N.J./Eastern).

Freshman Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) threw the first 3.0 innings to improve to 4-1, and junior Danielle Ballard (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) pitched the final 2.0 innings, as the two Pioneers combined to allow just two hits.

For the Gothic Knights, Lacey Skowronski had both of the hits, each a double. Senior Andrea Delucrezia took the loss for NJCU, falling to 3-5. She pitched 3.0 innings, allowing 12 runs on 13 hits, while striking out three and walking one.

GAME TWO
Reilly's sacrifice fly to center field scored Mulderig during the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 victory.

NJCU scored its only run in the first inning when Danielle Delfino led off the game with a double to left-center and scored on an almost identical double off Skowronski's bat. This stood as the only run for either team until the Pioneers tied it up in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Mulderig singled through the left side of the infield to get William Paterson going in the fifth. She advanced to second when junior pinch hitter Linda Hahn (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) was hit by a pitch. Reilly then hit a ground ball to second base that Delfino fielded and tagged out Hahn, but collided with her on the play, falling and allowing Mulderig to scamper home.

In their attempt to score in the eighth inning, the Pioneers put Mulderig on second base for the international tiebreaker, and she advanced to third on Sierra's sacrifice bunt. Reilly then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Mulderig to score.

Reilly, Vitale and Mulderig accounted for the Pioneers' three hits. Vitale started inside the circle and surrendered four hits and one run in 3.0 innings. Graham came on in relief and shut down the Gothic Knights with a perfect 5.0 innings of work (5-1), striking out two batters.

NJCU also received an outstanding pitching performance from Skowronski, who threw all 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out one and walking three (3-5).

The Pioneers will host Wilkes Sunday, March 29, at 2:00 p.m.