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

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (11-7-1, 1-1 NJAC) opened New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) baseball play with a 14-4 victory against visiting Rowan (12-6-1, 1-1 NJAC), but 11 stranded Pioneer runners allowed the Profs to salvage a split with a 2-0 win in the second game of the doubleheader played April 2 at Jeff Albies Field.

GAME ONE
William Paterson owned a 7-0 lead after two innings and never looked back, exploding for a 14-4 victory in the opener.

The Pioneers sprinted out to a 5-0 first-inning lead. A leadoff single to the pitcher by freshman third baseman A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and a fielder's choice were followed by an Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) grounder that found the hole on the right side of the infield. Sophomore Scott Hansen's (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) walk loaded the bases, and junior outfielder Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) drew a base on balls to force in William Paterson's first run. Freshman catcher Ken O'Donnell (Teaneck, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) hit a ball hard that the Prof third baseman couldn't handle, plating Derner, and junior outfielder Jack Montanile (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) successfully put down the bunt on a suicide squeeze, making it a 3-0 game. Senior outfielder Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) emptied the bases with a single to center, creating a 5-0 advantage for the home team.

Flores again led off an inning with a base hit, this time to start the second frame, and stole second before a flyout for the first out of the inning. Derner doubled him in with a liner down the left-field line, and he sprinted home two hitters later when Somers dropped a single into right field.

Rowan got three runs back during the top of the third. Senior designated hitter Bobby Gorski walked and classmate Brad Woodend singled through the right side before Marc Magliaro deposited a base hit into left-center. Junior second baseman Brandon Winkler's sacrifice fly to right drove in Gorski, a Scott Weaver grounder through the left side plated Woodend, and a Kevin O'Brien base hit up the middle scored Magliaro for a 7-3 count.

Montanile started the bottom half of the inning with a base hit to shortstop, and Moran's sacrifice bunt was thrown away by the Rowan pitcher, giving WP runners at second and third. After a liner accounted for the first out of the frame, Flores stepped to the plate and drilled a triple to right-center field for a pair of Pioneer runs. Junior shortstop Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) sent Flores home with a sac fly to center, handing William Paterson a 10-3 lead.

WP tacked on a single run in the fourth. Somers was hit in the back of the helmet by a pitch but was able to remain in the game. He advanced to second thanks to a passed ball and later trotted home on a Montanile two-out two-bagger to right-center field.

Three more Pioneers crossed home plate in the eighth inning. Hansen walked with one out, moved up 90 feet thanks to a wild pitch and advanced to third when Somers singled up the middle. Pinch hitter Mike Arecchi (Hazlet, N.J./St. John Vianney) hit a grounder to the shortstop that was enough to score Hansen, and Montanile's base hit drove in Somers. Moran then doubled over the center fielder's head to plate Montanile and push the Pioneers ahead, 14-3.

Rowan scored once in the ninth. Weaver grounded back up the middle for a base hit, advanced to second on a groundout and sprinted home on a Nick Turano base hit into left field.

Somers was 3-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored, one of five Pioneers with a multi-hit effort. Montanile was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI, while Moran finished 3-for-4, hit a double, scored once and collected three RBI. Flores went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a pair of runs scored, and Derner was 2-for-5 and contributed a double, two runs and one RBI.

The current NJAC and New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA) Rookie Pitcher of the Week, freshman Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) improved to 3-1. He struck out five and walked three while allowing three runs and seven hits in 5.0 innings. Junior Steve Coral (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) pitched the final 4.0 innings, giving up one run and four hits for his third save.

Magliaro, Weaver and Turano were all 2-for-5 for the Profs. Senior Jeff White fell to 1-2 after surrendering five runs on four hits as the starter (0.2 inning). Junior Ryan Peterson tossed 1.2 innings and gave up five hits and five runs (three earned). Sophomore Kyle Brown allowed one unearned run and three hits in 2.2 innings of work, and junior Mike Halbach pitched the final 3.0 innings, giving up three runs and four hits.

GAME TWO
The Pioneers out-hit the Profs 8-7, but Rowan was able to scratch out a pair of runs and work itself out of several dangerous situations to preserve the 2-0 win.

Rowan struck with two runs during the top of the fourth. Weaver started the frame with a single, and advanced to second via a C.J. Szymczak base hit into left field. Junior Matt Hill was hit by a pitch, and Winkler delivered both runners with a double to left-center, making it a 2-0 score.

The Pioneers twice had runners on second and third with one out, but Prof starter Curtis Arsi worked out of the jams during the fourth and sixth innings. WP loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard. A pair of one-out singles gave William Paterson a chance in the eighth, but a flyout and strikeout ended the inning. Rowan recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning defensively to lock up the victory.

Dorio and Derner were both 2-for-4 for the Pioneers. Sophomore J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) started for WP and gave up two runs and seven hits in 7.1 innings (1-2), registering three strikeouts and two walks. Junior Bryce Warden (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) finished things off with 1.2 innings of hitless relief.  The loss snapped the Pioneers' eight-game win streak and saw WP finish its homestand with an 8-1 mark.

Turano was 2-for-4 and Szymczak went 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored for the Profs. Arsi (4-1) struck out eight and walked three in 7.0 innings, scattering six hits. Todd Burdette gave up two hits in 1.0 inning, and John O'Hara pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

William Paterson will play at Drew Tuesday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m.