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

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (26-13-1, 11-7 NJAC) celebrated Senior Day with a doubleheader split against No. 20 Rowan (26-11, 12-6 NJAC), 2-1 in eight innings and 0-3, in the softball regular-season finale for both schools May 1. After the twin bill, the Pioneers honored their three seniors -- Lacey Santone (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), Casey Sierra (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) and Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.).

The Pioneers will be the fourth seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament, and will play a first-round game at third-seeded Rowan Tuesday, May 4. Top-seeded The College of New Jersey will host the remainder of the double-elimination tourney Friday-Sunday, May 7-9.

GAME ONE
The Pioneers used a bases-loaded error to push across the deciding run in the bottom of the eighth inning, winning a 2-1 pitcher's duel.

Senior Jenna DiDonato launched a 1-2 pitch over the left-center fence with one out in the top of the sixth for the game's first run, and the Profs' second hit, to give Rowan the advantage.

With two outs in the bottom half of the same inning, the Pioneers came up with an answer. Junior Lindsey Nadolny (Belford N.J./Middletown North) drew a walk, and Zippler followed with a grounder through the right side of the infield. Nadolny dug hard and slid into third base as the throw arrived from right field, but the ball took a tough hop and got through the Prof third baseman, rolling to the fence in foul territory. That was enough to allow Nadolny to pop up and sprint home, sliding across the plate for the tying run. Zippler came all the way around to the third on the play, and Rowan elected to intentionally walk junior Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) to put runners on the corners. A popup by Santone ended the threat and the inning.

Ashley Minch started the top of the seventh with a drive off the fence in left, a leadoff double to put the go-ahead run on base for the Profs. But, sophomore Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) worked out of the jam with a groundout, flyout and popup.

After a 1-2-3 inning by William Paterson in the bottom of the seventh, runner Casey Roselle started the eighth at second base thanks to the international tiebreaker. A popup bunt and a grounder and rundown that resulted in a tag of Roselle made it two outs with a runner on second, and a final groundout kept it a 1-1 score.

Junior Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech) was placed on second to begin the Pioneer eighth, and was promptly sacrificed to third by classmate Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge). Rowan decided to intentionally walk sophomore Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) and Nadolny to load the bases, and the decision initially paid off when a Zippler grounder resulted in the second out of the inning at the plate. However, a Vitale grounder to short was mishandled, and Roder scampered home with the game-winning run.

Graham allowed a total of three hits, the first a fourth-inning hard grounder back up the middle. She (15-9) struck out two and walked two over 8.0 innings. Zippler, Vitale, Sierra and Jimmerson accounted for the Pioneers' four hits.

Rowan sophomore Jamie Minix fell to 15-5, giving up four walks while striking out four.

GAME TWO
Minix (16-5) scattered three hits over 7.0 innings to allow the Profs to get a split with a 3-0 victory during the second game of the doubleheader.

Rowan seized the early advantage with three runs during its first at-bat. Back-to-back one-out singles by DiDonato and Steph Taraschi were followed by a strikeout. A two-run double to left by sophomore Nicolina Veneziano cleared the bases, and after a hit by pitch, Julie Laskanic singled in Veneziano.

William Paterson brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh after a pair of two-out singles, but a final grounder ended the contest.

Roder, Vitale and Santone contributed hits for WP. Freshman Jaclyn Masterson (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) threw the first 1.1 innings, surrendering three runs on five hits (3-2). Freshman Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) tossed the final 4.2 scoreless innings, scattering four hits, walking one Prof and striking out two.