Box Score

CHANDLER, ARIZ. – Freshmen A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and Ken O'Donnell (Teaneck, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) each contributed three hits to the William Paterson baseball team's (3-5-1) 10-8 victory against Springfield, Mass. (5-1) March 17 at the Greater Phoenix Invitational.

The Pride took the early lead with a pair of unearned runs that crossed the plate on a Pioneer error in the bottom of the second inning, but William Paterson scored three times in the top of the third. Freshman Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) and Flores singled to start the frame and were promptly sent home thanks to an Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) base hit. Two batters later, Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) delivered Dorio with the Pioneers' fourth single of the inning.

Three unearned runs pushed the Pride ahead by a 5-3 count after three innings, but Scott Hansen's (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) sacrifice fly cut that lead in half during the top of the fifth.

O'Donnell singled in a run, Moran drove in two runners with a base hit, O'Donnell scampered home on an error and Hansen plated Moran with a triple, handing the Pioneers a 9-5 advantage in the sixth. Springfield scored three times during the home half of the frame to get within one, but WP used a Ptaszynski hit by pitch, sacrifice, flyout and Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) base hit to add an insurance run in the ninth.

Flores was 3-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored, while O'Donnell was 3-for-6, scored once and drove in a run. Derner, Moran and Hansen each contributed a pair of hits.

Freshman Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) picked up the victory (1-1), allowing eight hits and seven runs (two earned) in 5.1 innings. Junior Dan Alcala (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) pitched the final 3.2 innings, giving up one run and two hits for the save.

William Paterson will finish play at the Greater Phoenix Invitational Friday, March 18, against Johns Hopkins at 9:30 a.m.