Box Score

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Seven different Pioneers had multi-hit efforts as the William Paterson baseball team (17-11-1) exploded for a 16-2 victory against host Centenary (7-17) April 20 at TD Bank Park.

The current New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Rookie of the Week, freshman second baseman Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) started the top of the fourth with a single and was promptly doubled home by junior first baseman Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional). Freshman catcher Ken O'Donnell (Teaneck, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) sent a single down the left-field line, and an Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) base hit plated Derner. Junior outfielder Jack Montanile (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) sacrificed the runners up a base, and Blake Crouch's (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) sacrifice fly plated O'Donnell for a 3-0 Pioneer advantage.

Freshman third baseman A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) laced a triple to center and Derner's RBI-single to right made it a 4-0 score in the fifth. The Cyclones crossed home plate once during the home half of the same frame, using a single, groundout and two wild pitches, but the Pioneers pushed a pair of runners across in the sixth. Montanile drew a one-out walk, and an error on a Crouch fielder's choice was enough for him to score. A wild pitch then allowed Crouch to race home and make it a 6-1 game.

Four William Paterson runs increased the Pioneers' advantage to 10-1 in the eighth. Crouch doubled and junior outfielder Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) singled before senior Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) plated one run with his base hit down the left-field line. Flores and Ptaszynski delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles, and an O'Donnell fielder's choice with the bases loaded allowed Flores to touch the plate.

A bases-loaded hit by pitch during the bottom of the eighth inning gave Centenary its only other run of the contest. William Paterson posted six runs during its final at-bat. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Flores, who hit a grounder that the first baseman threw away, scoring Brian Truchan (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial). Senior Marc Palestina's (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) base hit drove in two runners, and Dorio's two-bagger to the right-center gap added a pair of runs to the ledger for the Pioneers.

Derner was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Dorio went 2-for-6 with a double and three RBI, and Flores finished 2-for-6 with a triple and three runs scored. Somers and Moran both were 2-for-4 at the plate, O'Donnell was 2-for-5 with a double, and Ptaszynski went 2-for-6 with a run and RBI.

Sophomore lefty James Young (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) improved to 3-1, allowing three hits and one run in 5.0 innings. Freshman Pete Savastano (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings, giving up a pair of hits and striking out the side in the sixth inning. Freshman Ed Casiano (Garfield, N.J./Garfield) gave up one run in 1.0 inning of work, and classmate Matt Serra (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) allowed one hit in the ninth.

Mike Crowe accounted for three of Centenary's seven hits. Chris Campbell took the loss (0-1), surrendering four runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.

William Paterson will host Montclair State Thursday, April 21, at 3:30 p.m.