Box Score 

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. – The William Paterson baseball team (4-4-1) suffered a 14-8 loss to Westfield State (3-1) March 16 at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

The Pioneers owned the early advantage after junior Frank Franco (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) drove in seniors Miguel Lugo (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's) and Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) with a first-inning double to right-center. William Paterson made it a 4-0 score in the third when Franco's single plated Lugo and Marc Palestina's (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) sacrifice fly knocked in Guadango.

Westfield State tied the score with a four-run fifth, including a three-run double, but the Pioneers used a Franco sac fly to regain the lead, 5-4, during the bottom half of the same frame.

Westfield State took control of the contest with eight runs scored on nine hits in the top of the seventh. A run-scoring single by Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) and a bases-loaded hit by pitch by Zac Rose (Nutley, N.J./St. Mary Rutherford) made it a 12-8 score after seven, but Westfield tacked on two more runs during its last at-bat.

Franco finished 2-for-4 with four RBI. Lugo and Guadango were both 1-for-3 and combined to score five runs.

Sophomore Rob Doughty (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) pitched the first 5.0 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, striking out six and walking three. Sophomore Bryce Warden (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) took the loss (0-2), giving up three runs in 1.1 innings. Freshman Jacob Baron (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) surrendered five runs and seven hits in 0.2 inning, and sophomore Blake Crouch (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) tossed the final 2.0 innings (three hits, two runs, one earned).

The Pioneers will battle No. 20 Cortland Wednesday, March 17, at 3:30 p.m. at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.