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

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (26-8) closed out its softball regular season with a pair of 8-0, six-inning victories against visiting Baruch (15-19) May 1.

The third-seeded Pioneers will host fourth-seeded Ramapo in the first round of the double-elimination New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Tournament Tuesday, May 3, at 4:00 p.m.

GAME ONE
A pair of two-run homers helped the Pioneers win the opener in six innings, 8-0.

Freshman shortstop Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J./Pope John XXIII) started the bottom of the first with a double, and three batters later classmate Jessica Warner (Runnemede, N.J./Triton) knocked her in with a grounder, handing WP an early 1-0 edge.

Sophomore Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) opened the second inning with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Caitlyn Dean (Haskell, N.J./Lakeland Regional). Junior outfielder Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) was hit by a pitch before the Bearcats recorded a pair of outs, but a ball off the bat of Miele was misplayed by the Baruch shortstop and Dean sprinted around and scored to make it a 2-0 score.

Hand made it a 4-0 game in the third after her line drive cleared the fence and tucked inside the left foul pole, a two-run homer that plated freshman Danielle Capozzi (Wanaque, N.J./Lakeland Regional), who pinch ran after senior Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) led off with a base hit.

William Paterson tacked on a run in the fifth when senior right fielder Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) doubled and was later driven in by a Kaitlyn Brock (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) single up the middle.

The Pioneers finished things off with three sixth-inning runs. Miele singled to left and stole second before a Vitale base hit put runners on the corners. A Warner 4-3 groundout was enough for Miele to score, and Mendez followed with her third home run of the year, this one to left-center to drive in Vitale and give WP the game-ending eight-run margin.

Hand was 3-for-3 at the plate with a two-run homer, and earned the complete-game victory inside the circle (9-2), scattering four hits and striking out two. Mendez was one of four Pioneers with two hits, finishing 2-for-4 with the two-run home run and a pair of runs scored.

Nicole Flint took the loss for Baruch (10-9), giving up eight runs (seven earned) and 14 hits in 5.2 innings.

GAME TWO
William Paterson finished the sweep, crossing the plate in five of six innings to finish with another 8-0 victory.

The Pioneers wasted no time, scoring three times during their first at-bat. Senior second baseman Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North) hit a one-out single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Vitale then singled and took second on the throw home that was not in time to get Nadolny. Roder doubled in Vitale, and sophomore Alexa Veniero's (Belleville, N.J./Belleville) two-bagger down the left-field line plated Roder for the 3-0 score.

Junior third baseman Jessica Maciolek (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) reached on a one-out error to get things started for WP in the bottom of the second inning. Miele sacrificed her to second, and a Nadolny base hit gave the Pioneers runners on the corners. A dropped fly ball by the left fielder allowed both base runners to score and make it a 5-0 William Paterson lead.

Senior catcher Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech) hit her first home since the 2009 season, a third-inning solo shot down the left-field line to make it a 6-0 score. William Paterson added one run in the fourth, thanks to a Nadolny leadoff double, a Vitale groundout to move her up a base and a Capozzi RBI-single to third.

With two outs and runners on first and second, freshman Laura Henriquez (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) moved to third and Dean to second on a wild pitch before sophomore Justine Sebastiano (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) was issued a base on balls. Senior outfielder Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) then drilled a hard grounder through the feet of the Baruch third baseman to score Henriquez and end the contest.

Nadolny finished 3-for-3, hit a double and scored three times. Henriquez went 2-for-2 and scored the winning run.

Junior Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) allowed one hit and struck out three in 3.0 innings, and sophomore Jaclyn Masterson (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) gave up four hits in 3.0 innings for the victory in relief (1-0).

Ashley Brandow finished 2-for-3 to pace Baruch. Cristina Arce (1-4) surrendered 12 hits and eight runs (six earned) in 5.2 innings.