Box Score 

WAYNE, N.J. – A seven-run fifth inning helped FDU-Florham (2-0) earn a 13-8 baseball victory at William Paterson (1-1-1) March 9. The game was halted due to darkness with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the eighth inning.

Senior Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) started things off for the Pioneers with a first-inning solo home run down the left-field line, and William Paterson tacked on an unearned score in the second when sophomore Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) singled to the pitcher and then crossed the plate after a throwing error by the Devil third baseman.

The Pioneers made it a 3-0 score in the third after senior Miguel Lugo (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's) led off with a double to right-center, advanced to third thanks to a flyout, and scored on a sacrifice fly that was dropped by the FDU-Florham center fielder. Three straight walks loaded the bases for William Paterson with one out in the bottom of the fourth, and Lugo was able to plate Somers with a sac fly, making it a 4-0 advantage.

However, the Devils responded with a seven-run outburst in the fifth, three of them coming via a Ryan Fandel home run, to stake FDU-Florham to a 7-4 lead.

William Paterson knotted the score with three runs in the home half of the inning, two of them scoring after a throwing error by FDU's third baseman, but the Devils answered with three more scores in the sixth when Marc Hubbert singled in a run and Fandel drove in two with a base hit.

A Lugo double and an Andrue Laguerre (Jersey City, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) RBI-single made it a 10-8 game after six innings, but a single, sacrifice and two walks loaded the bases for FDU-Florham in the top of the seventh inning, and the Devils finished the frame with two more runs on the scoreboard, thanks to a Matt Joiner sac fly and a wild pitch. Alex Sariyan finished the scoring when he drove in Mike Zangrillo with an eighth-inning single.

Somers and Lugo each went 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored for the Pioneers. Senior Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) started on the mound and allowed seven runs in 4.1 innings, while sophomore Bryce Warden (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) took the loss (0-1) with three runs allowed in 1.0 inning of work. Junior John Slootmaker (Pequannock, N.J./Lakeland Regional) gave up two hits and two runs in an inning, and sophomore Blake Crouch (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) tossed 1.1 innings of one-run ball.

Hubbert was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored for the Devils, and Fandel went 2-for-4, hit a home run and drove in five runners. Junior Brandon Smith started and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in 3.0 innings, registering three strikeouts, while sophomore Jake Hazen picked up the win in relief (1-0), giving up four hits and four runs (two earned) in 2.0 innings. Matt Mizerek pitched the final 2.0 innings for the save.

The Pioneers will host Centenary Wednesday, March 10, at 3:00 p.m.