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

WAYNE, N.J. – The No. 24 William Paterson softball team (29-7) celebrated Senior Day and finished regular-season play with a doubleheader split against Wilkes (18-20) April 26. The Pioneers, who honored seniors Ana Abourashed (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) and Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) after the twin bill, lost the first game, 5-3, before rallying to win the second contest, 4-2.

William Paterson has earned the second seed for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament and will host fifth-seeded Kean Tuesday, April 28, in a first-round contest at 4:00 p.m. Top-seeded Rowan will host the remainder of the double-elimination NJAC Tournament Friday-Sunday, May 1-3.

GAME ONE
Two Colonel runs during the top of the seventh inning were the difference in a 5-3 opening-game decision.

William Paterson crossed the plate once during the bottom of the third after Reilly hit a slow roller to shortstop for an infield single and junior Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) rocketed a triple to center field. Wilkes, however, came right back with a run of its own in the top of the fourth when Gina Stefanelli and Kathy Dalton led off the frame with back-to-back doubles and Cori Saltzer hit a sacrifice fly to right field, knotting the score at 1-1.

The Pioneers built a 3-1 lead with a pair of fifth-inning runs. Sophomore Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) singled, Reilly was hit by a pitch and Zippler hit a ball back to the pitcher that she could not cleanly field, loading the bases with one out. Sophomore Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North) contributed a hard-hit grounder back up the middle, scoring Mulderig and Reilly.

Once again the Colonels tied the score during their very next at-bat, this time thanks to consecutive solo home runs to left by Stefanelli and Dalton.

Freshman Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) got a strikeout and a popup to start the top of the seventh, but two bloop singles by MeLisa Bracone and Kristy Ordile were followed by a hard-hit single by Stefanelli that Zippler allowed to get past her, and both Wilkes runners crossed the plate for the final margin.

Stefanelli went 4-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored, while Dalton finished 3-for-4, including a solo home run. Sophomore Lindsay Behrenshausen improved to 14-5 after allowing seven hits and three runs, walking one and striking out four.

Zippler led the Pioneers at the plate with a 3-for-3 effort, while Nadolny was 1-for-4 and drove in two of WP's three runs. Graham took the loss (12-4), giving up 11 hits and five runs while registering eight strikeouts.

GAME TWO
It was William Paterson's turn to earn a win during its final at-bat, as the Pioneers crossed the plate twice during the bottom of the sixth for a 4-2 victory.

Each team had early opportunities to score with the bases loaded and zero outs during both the bottom of the third and the top of the fourth. Wilkes starter Maureen Pelot worked out of the jam with a popup, a fielder's choice out at home and a lineout to center field, while Pioneer sophomore Kerrie Mascarelli (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) induced a lineout, strikeout and groundout to get out of the inning.

After Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) started the bottom of the fourth with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Rebecca McClure (New Milford, N.J./New Milford), an Abourashed groundout advanced McClure to second, and a Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) sacrifice bunt attempt was thrown into right field, allowing McClure to score the game's first run. A second Wilkes error, this one with two runners on and two outs, was enough to plate Roder and give the Pioneers a 2-0 edge.

Stefanelli drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, and Ordile knocked in Sarah Elliot with a sixth-inning double, for a 2-2 score.

Mulderig was issued a one-out walk during the home half of the sixth, and she advanced to second base after a passed ball. Junior Lacey Santone's (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) infield single gave WP runners on the corners, setting the stage for a Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech) RBI-single to second base. Reilly then followed with a base hit up the middle, driving in Santone for the final 4-2 margin.

Santone had the only multi-hit effort for the Pioneers with her 3-for-3 performance. Mascarelli stayed perfect (8-0) with two runs and six hits allowed in 7.0 innings, striking out four Colonels and walking four.

Elliot led Wilkes at the plate by going 3-for-3 and scoring both runs. Pelot dropped to 3-7 after surrendering four runs (two earned) and nine hits in 6.0 innings inside the circle.