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

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (9-3) opened its 2012 softball home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of visiting NYU-Poly (11-7) March 27, 5-1 and 7-6.  Sophomore shortstop Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J./Pope John XXIII) was a combined 5-for-8 at the plate with a home run, three runs-batted-in and two runs scored to pace WP.   

GAME ONE
The Pioneers jumped out early, scoring three times by the end of the third inning on their way to a 5-1 opening victory.

WP broke the scoreless tie with a pair of second-inning runs.  Senior center fielder Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) reached on an one-out error and freshman left fielder Kelsey Principe's (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) perfect bunt resulted in an infield single.  After a flyout, senior third baseman Jessica Maciolek (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) loaded the bases thanks to an error by the shortstop, and Miele's base hit to third base and an error were enough for Roder and Principe to cross the plate.

Sophomore designated player Rachel Cannata (Waldwick, N.J./Paramus Catholic) painted the right-field line for a double with one out in the third.  She was replaced by pinch runner Mandy Muraca (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place), who moved to third on a Roder base hit and scored on a throwing error, making it a 3-0 lead.

The Fighting Blue Jays used a Shelby Bruns triple and a Sadie Hoeschen groundout to get on the scoreboard during the top of the fifth, but the Pioneers answered with a pair of scores in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Pinch hitter Keanna Ross (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) singled through the left side and Maciolek sacrificed her to second.   Sophomore pinch hitter Danielle Capozzi (Wanaque, N.J./Lakeland Regional) reached and advanced to second on an error, pushing Ross to third, before freshman first baseman Jessica Phillips (Woolwich, N.J./Kingsway Regional) plated them both with a base hit up the middle.

Miele was 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBI, and Phillips drove in two runs with her single.   Senior Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) improved to 4-1, scattering six hits and striking out four.

Bruns was 2-for-4 at the plate for NYU-Poly.  Sophomore Miranda Merilli fell to 7-4 inside the circle, giving up five unearned runs on nine hits.

GAME TWO
After an uneventful first four innings, the two teams combined for 13 runs during the final 2.5 frames as William Paterson came out on top, 7-6.

Game two remained scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when Hoeschen hit a two-run home run to left field for the Fighting Blue Jays, scoring Bruns, who had previously walked.

The Pioneers stormed back during the bottom of the fifth, crossing the plate three times to take a 3-2 lead.  After two quick outs to start the inning, singles by freshman Rebecca VanderBrink (Pompton Lakes, N.J./Pompton Lakes) and Miele led to an RBI-base hit by Samantha Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.).  Pinch hitter Cannata drove in two more with a line drive to center field.

In the sixth the Fighting Blue Jays tied the game at 3-3 with their second home run of the game, this one by Christi Bruin over the fence in left-center field.  Later that inning a bunt single from Lacey Samsoe scored the go-ahead run, 4-3.

After two outs to start the bottom of the sixth inning, Maciolek reached on an error and freshman Kerrin Dys (North Arlington, N.J./North Arlington) put the Pioneers back in the lead with her two-run blast to left-center field.  Miele made it back-to-back jacks when she immediately followed with a solo shot to left.  Mulderig singled then scored from first on a base hit by Nicole Walls (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) and an error, extending the WP lead to 7-4.

NYU-Poly would not go down without a fight in the seventh, scoring two on a home run from Corine Fitzgibbons to pull them within one with no outs.  However, Graham, who came on in relief during the top of the sixth, stopped the bleeding with a popup, flyout and groundout to end the game.

Miele was 3-for-4 with a homer RBI and two runs scored.  Mulderig finished 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored twice.

Junior Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) started in the circle for the Pioneers, yielding four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings.  Graham recorded the win for WP (5-1), giving up two runs on three hits in 2.0 innings.

Hoeschen led the Blue Jays with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate, a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored.  Briana Feist (4-2) started for NYU-Poly, allowing six runs (three earned) and eight hits in 5.2 innings.  Merilli gave up an unearned run in 0.1 inning of relief.

William Paterson will visit Drew Thursday, March 29, at 3:30 p.m.