BOX SCORE (Game #1)
BOX SCORE (Game #2)

CLERMONT, FLA. – William Paterson (2-0) opened its 2012 softball season with a pair of victories March 17 at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.  The Pioneers defeated St. Scholastica (8-6), 6-3, and Wisconsin-Platteville (0-1), 2-1 in eight innings.

GAME ONE
Freshman second baseman Christina Austin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) was 3-for-3 at the plate during her collegiate debut, a 6-3 victory against St. Scholastica.

WP broke open the scoreless deadlock with three runs in the top of the third inning.  Austin hit a one-out single, followed by a base hit by sophomore shortstop Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J./Pope John XXIII) and an outfielder error to plate Austin.  Sophomore designated player Rachel Cannata (Waldwick, N.J./Paramus Catholic) singled in Miele and was lifted for pinch runner Laura Henriquez (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional). Henriquez advanced to third via a Jessica Phillips (Woolwich, N.J./Kingsway Regional) base hit, then scored thanks to senior outfielder Raquel Roder's (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) sacrifice fly.

St. Scholastica got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out error and a pair of hits, but freshman left fielder Kelsey Principe (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) trotted home after a bunt single, passed ball and error in the sixth.

Both teams scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning.  Miele led off with a base hit, moved to third on an error and scored on a passed ball.  Phillips later crossed the plate thanks to a wild pitch.

Miele was 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored, and Cannata was 2-for-4 and drove in a run.  Senior Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) pitched the complete game (1-0), scattering eight hits and allowing two earned runs while striking out six and walking one.

GAME TWO
A RBI-single by freshman pinch hitter Kerrin Dys (North Arlington, N.J./North Arlington) lifted the Pioneers to a 2-1 win in the eighth inning against Wisconsin-Platteville.

Junior right fielder Samantha Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) led off the bottom of the first with a walk, stole second and third, and eventually crossed the plate on a wild pitch, giving WP an early 1-0 lead.

A single and two errors allowed Wisconsin-Platteville to knot the score in the sixth.  After working out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the top of the eighth, the Pioneers started the home half of the frame with freshman catcher Lachelle Rouse (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) on second base.  Mulderig successfully sacrificed her to third, and Dys' single up the middle plated Rouse for the deciding run.

Freshman third baseman Melissa Swain (West Berlin, N.J./Paul VI) was 2-for-3 at the plate for WP.  Junior Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) allowed three hits and one unearned run inside the circle (1-0), striking out two batters.

The Pioneers will face Wellesley at 11:00 a.m. and No. 25 St. Thomas at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 18.