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

CAMDEN, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (20-17-1, 8-10 NJAC) finished its season with a doubleheader split at Rutgers-Camden (12-24, 2-16 NJAC) May 1. The Pioneers won the opener, 15-1, before suffering a 13-7 loss in the night cap.

GAME ONE
Freshman A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and senior Marc Palestina (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) each had three hits as the Pioneers rolled to a 15-1 victory.

Senior Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) tripled and later scored on a double-steal attempt for the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Junior shortstop Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and later scored on an error, and Flores doubled in Palestina to make it a 3-0 margin in the third.

Flores' second double of the game plated two runs, and a Moran sacrifice fly scored Flores, for a 6-0 fourth-inning margin. William Paterson added three more runs in the fifth. Freshman Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) drew a bases-loaded walk, and a Flores base hit was enough to push across junior Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) and freshman Mike Arecchi (Hazlet, N.J./St. John Vianney).

Rutgers-Camden scored its only run of the game during the bottom of the fifth, stringing together a single, walk and error for a 9-1 score.

Palestina's three-run triple helped the Pioneers put together a five-run sixth inning, and two hit by pitches and a Palestina RBI-single finished the scoring in the seventh.

Flores was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and five RBI. Palestina went 3-for-5, hit a triple, scored three times and drove in four runs. Arecchi finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Freshman Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) improved to 4-2, giving up one unearned run and two hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out four and walked three. Freshman Matt Serra (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) picked up his first save with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, scattering three hits.

Jon Hydock and Jon Siswo both went 2-for-4 at the plate for Rutgers-Camden. Starter John Diamond dropped to 1-3, surrendering three runs and four hits in 2.0 innings.

GAME TWO
William Paterson jumped out to a 6-1 lead, but an eighth-run seventh inning allowed the Scarlet Raptors to rally for a 13-7 win.

Rutgers-Camden drew first blood, using a Tom Clarke double and a CJ Mooney single for one run during its first at-bat.

Flores singled with one out in the third, stole second, then advanced to third and scored on two wild pitches to even the contest.

The Pioneers crossed the plate five times during the top of the sixth inning, as Scott Hansen (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) singled in Moran and later scored himself thanks to a Dorio two-bagger. Back-to-back RBI-singles by Pasternak and Arecchi were followed by a Pasternak sac fly, making it a 6-1 Pioneer edge.

Rutgers-Camden got to within one run with a four-run sixth, using three singles, a double, two walks and an error. The Scarlet Raiders then exploded for eight runs during the seventh inning, including a three-run double off the bat of Albert Rivera, to seize a 13-6 lead.

Palestina's leadoff single and a Moran hit to center field accounted for William Paterson's final run scored in the top of the eighth.

Palestina finished 3-for-5, drove in a run and scored twice, while Flores and Moran each had a pair of hits. Starter Kevin Wieme (Bayville, N.J./Paramus) allowed five runs (two earned) and six hits in 5.2 innings. Freshman Pete Savastano (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) suffered the loss (0-1), giving up two hits and four runs, one of them earned, in 0.2 inning. Freshman Ed Casiano (Garfield, N.J./Garfield) and junior Bryce Warden (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) combined to surrender four unearned runs in 0.2 inning, and sophomore James Young (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) gave up one hit in 1.0 inning of work.

Clarke was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a pair of runs scored and two RBI to lead Rutgers-Camden. Starter Tommy Potts improved to 1-1, giving up six runs and 10 hits in 7.0 innings.