Box Score

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. – Montclair State (15-11, 7-5 NJAC) jumped out to a 4-0 third-inning lead en route to a 12-2 victory against the visiting William Paterson baseball team (17-13-1, 5-6 NJAC) April 22.

Michael Boggi led off the bottom of the second with a walk, stole second and scored thanks to a Cody Pace single through the right side of the infield for a 1-0 score. The Red Hawks then forced three runners across in the third. Two walks set the stage for a Jay Bionde two-run base hit, and Boggi's sacrifice fly handed MSU a 4-0 lead.

William Paterson got on the scoreboard during the top of the fifth. Junior designated hitter Blake Crouch (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) hit a one-out single to center, and after a flyout, sophomore left fielder Scott Hansen (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) sent a base hit through the left side. Junior right fielder Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) then delivered Crouch with a single to center for a 4-1 margin.

Bionde singled and Kevin Bond doubled to make it a 5-1 Red Hawk lead after five before junior first baseman Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) bombed a solo home run over the right-field fence for the Pioneers during the visiting half of the sixth. Montclair State responded with a pair of walks and a Mike Ercolano RBI-single, making it a 6-2 contest through six innings.

MSU blew the game open with a five-run seventh. Anthony Bowens plated a pair of runners with a base hit to right-center, Louis Martini forced across a run with his bases-loaded walk, and Andrew Himmelfarb added the last two with a single. An infield base hit plated one run to finish the scoring for the Red Hawks in the bottom of the eighth.

Hansen was 2-for-4 and freshman Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) finished 2-for-5 for the Pioneers. Freshman Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) fell to 3-2, allowing six runs on four hits in 5.1 innings. Junior Steve Coral (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) gave up four runs and four hits in 1.1 innings, freshman Pete Savastano (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) tossed 0.1 inning and surrendered a run, and sophomore Greg Baker (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson Regional) pitched the final 1.0 inning and allowed one run on two hits.

Bionde was 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored to lead MSU. Zachary Brown (5-1) allowed two runs on eight hits over 7.0 innings, and Dylan Papa tossed the final 2.0 scoreless innings.

The Pioneers will play a doubleheader at Rutgers-Camden Saturday, April 23, at 11:30 a.m.