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

EWING, N.J. – Senior outfielder Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) hit her second career home run but William Paterson (22-8, 7-5 NJAC) dropped a pair of New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) softball games at The College of New Jersey (19-11, 8-4 NJAC) April 17, 4-3 in eight innings and 4-2.

GAME ONE
The Pioneers owned a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Lions rallied to pull out a 4-3, eight-inning victory.

TCNJ struck first when Kelly Hommen's grounder plated Crystal Lee during the home half of the first.  WP jumped ahead during the top of the fourth inning, ignited by a Rachel Cannata (Waldwick, N.J./Paramus Catholic) two-out double.  Roder followed with a homer over the fence in left-center field, her first of the year, for a 2-1 Pioneer lead.

William Paterson tacked on an insurance run in the fifth.  Senior third baseman Jessica Maciolek (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) walked and freshman second baseman Christina Austin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) put down a bunt for a single to open the frame.  After a foul-out, pinch hitter Danielle Capozzi's (Wanaque, N.J./Lakeland Regional) grounder resulted in an error that was enough to allow Maciolek to score from second. 

TCNJ's seventh inning began with a groundout and an error that put Lindsey Williams on second base.  Lee singled to place runners on the corners, and Michelle Casale plated Williams with a sacrifice fly.  After Lee stole second, Hommen evened the score with a base hit.

WP started the eighth with Austin at second base, and she was promptly sacrificed to third by sophomore shortstop Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J./Pope John XXIII).  But, the Pioneers could not advance her the final 60 feet, as a groundout and flyout ended the inning.

The Lions had Liz Huttner at second to begin the home half of the inning.  An out wasn't recorded on Ashley Sogluizzo's bunt, and Nicole Brodbeck immediately followed with a RBI-single to left.

Cannata, Roder and Austin accounted for the Pioneers' three hits.  Senior Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) suffered the loss (11-3), allowing four runs (one earned) on nine hits.

Lee went 4-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases and two runs scored to lead TCNJ.  Senior Lauren Fitzsimmons (12-4) gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits.  She struck out five and walked two.

GAME TWO
TCNJ scored all four of its runs by the end of the third inning to finish the sweep, 4-2.

With runners on second and third with two outs, Austin scampered home thanks to an error by the Lion catcher, handing William Paterson a 1-0 lead in the first.

TCNJ evened the contest during its first at-bat.  Lee started the frame by being hit by a pitch, stole second and was sacrificed to third.  Huttner drove her in with a base hit to left field.

The Lions seized control with a Sogluizzo three-run homer during the third inning.  Cannata started the fourth with a walk and was lifted for runner Kelsey Principe (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany).  She advanced to second via a sac bunt and moved to third thanks to a grounder before junior pitcher Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) knocked her in with a base hit up the middle.

William Paterson's best chance to tie the score came with runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth, but a popup ended the threat.

Miele went 3-for-4 for the Pioneers.  Hand fell to 6-2, giving up four runs on nine hits.

Huttner was 3-for-3 with a RBI and run scored, and Sogluizzo was 2-for-2 with the three-run home run for TCNJ.  Sophomore Alex Carisone improved to 7-7, surrendering two runs (one earned) and three hits in 5.2 innings.  Fitzsimmons tossed the final 1.1 innings for her first save.

William Paterson will host Baruch Thursday, April 19, at 3:30 p.m.