Box Score 

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (12-7-1) squeezed past Drew (2-18) for an 8-6 victory April 6 at Pioneer Baseball Park. Freshman Mike Linskey (Stanhope, N.J./Pope John XXIII) was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored to help the Pioneers earn their seventh win in the last eight games.

A Jack Montanile (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) triple started the bats off for the Pioneers in the bottom on the second inning. Classmate Vin Fondacaro (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) doubled to left-center field, scoring Montanile and bringing freshman Joe Fiorino (Glen Cove, N.Y./Glen Cove) into the batter's box. Fiorino promptly singled to center field to plate Fondacaro and give William Paterson an early 2-0 lead.

Drew responded in the top of the third inning with two runs of its own. After the first two men got on base, a sacrifice bunt by Chris DelMaestro advanced the runners and set up a Michael Bodden sacrifice fly, cutting the Pioneer lead in half. A Matt McGrath double to left-center field eventually plated Tom Sharp and knotted the score for the Rangers.

A single by senior James Gregory (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) drove in Franco, and a Montanile sac fly later sent home Gregory, for a 4-2 WP edge after four innings. The Rangers got one back with a fifth-inning Bodden solo home run, but the Pioneers added to their lead with a two-run double off Linskey's bat during the home half of the sixth inning.

Drew made it a 6-5 score in the eighth when the Rangers pushed across two runs, the first after a David Kaplow groundout and the second via a Sharp run-scoring single. However, William Paterson fought back with two scores of its own during its next at-bat as Linskey doubled in Montanile and later crossed the plate himself after a Drew error, pulling ahead by an 8-5 count. The Rangers scored the game's final run after a ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

Fiorino went 3-for-4 at the plate for William Paterson. Montanile was 2-for-3, hit a triple, scored three times and drove in a run, and Franco was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Sophomore Bryce Warden (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) started on the hill, allowing three runs on five hits in 4.2 innings, walking three Rangers and striking out four. Classmate Dan Alcala (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley) pitched 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits (1-0). Freshman Greg Baker (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson Regional) provided 0.2 inning of scoreless relief, and junior John Slootmaker (Pequannock, N.J./Lakeland Regional) tossed the final 1.1 innings, surrendering one run and two hits for his first save of the year.

Bodden was 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. McGrath went 3-for-5, hitting three doubles, and Sharp was 3-for-4 with a RBI and run scored.

Evan Martens threw the first 2.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Patrick Rock took the loss (0-2), giving up six runs (five earned) and eight hits in 5.2 innings of work.

The Pioneers will host Ramapo Thursday, April 8, at 3:30 p.m.