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

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

WAYNE, N.J. – Senior designated hitter Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) went a combined 5-for-9 with five RBI for the William Paterson baseball team (25-10, 8-6 NJAC) as they cruised to an easy 10-2 victory in game one, but saw an eighth-inning rally fall short, dropping the night cap, 5-4, against Rutgers-Camden (13-21, 4-10 NJAC) April 21 at Jeff Albies Field.

GAME ONE
The Pioneers wasted no time jumping on the board in the bottom of the first.  Junior outfielder Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) led off the game with a single through the right side and stole second.  Gibbons moved up on a wild pitch and was able to score on a dropped third strike.  Senior first baseman Jack Montanile (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) singled through the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Derner dropped a single into right field that plated Montanile to put WP in front, 2-0.  William Paterson tacked on another run in the bottom of the second, starting with a Scott Hansen (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) single that floated over the third baseman's head.  Gibbons doubled to right-center to move Hansen to third, and came around to score on a Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) sacrifice fly.

A two-out single in the bottom of the fifth by Montanile allowed Derner to come to the plate and blast a home run to left-center that bounced off the scoreboard, extending the Pioneer lead, 5-0.  The Scarlet Raptors answered in the top of the sixth inning, sparked by a leadoff double by Shaune Collins.  Senior Tristian Keyser drew a walk, and both runners moved up a base on a double steal.  Senior shortstop Joe Merlino lifted sacrifice fly to left field, making the score 5-1.

William Paterson put up five runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a Montanile single through the middle of the infield that plated two Pioneer runners.  Rutgers-Camden plated another run in the top of the eighth.  Collins was hit by a pitch, and back-to-back singles by Keyser and junior Albert Rivera loaded the bases.  Merlino delivered a sacrifice fly, making it a 10-2 game in favor of WP.

Sophomore Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) improved to 6-0 on the season allowing two runs on three hits in 8.0 innings of work.  Senior Dan Alcala (Paterson, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) allowed two hits in his one inning pitched.

Sophomore Paul Walters suffered the loss for the Scarlet Raptors, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings thrown.  Freshman Anthony Soyer allowed five runs (none earned) in 0.2 innings, and Sophomore Dan Snyder closed out the game allowing just two hits in 2.0 innings.  Merlino was responsible for both of the runs scored for Rutgers-Camden.

Gibbons, Montanile and Derner all went 3-for-5, and contributed a combined six RBI for the Pioneers. 

GAME TWO
Merlino singled with one out for the Scarlet Raptors in the top of the first, and senior second baseman Jon Hydock doubled to left-center to plate the first run of the game.  Freshman designated hitter Connor Hall followed with a double to score a run and stretch the lead, 2-0.  The Pioneers responded in the bottom of the frame, starting with a leadoff double down the left-field line by Gibbons.  Ptaszynski singled through the right side to allow Gibbons to cut the lead in half, 2-1. 

Rutgers-Camden added two more runs in the top of the fifth.  Rivera laid down a bunt single to spark the Scarlet Raptors' offense.  Merlino's single through the right side moved Rivera to third base, and both came around to score on a Hydock single to right-center to give Camden a 4-1 advantage.  The Scarlet Raptors stretched the lead to 5-1 in the top of the eighth as Jon Siswo singled to lead off the inning, making his way to third by way of a ground ball and wild pitch.  Hall singled through the middle to plate Siswo.

The Pioneers rallied in the bottom of the eighth frame beginning with a leadoff walk by Ptaszynski, and moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt by the Scarlet Raptors' pitcher.  Montanile drew a base-on-balls, and both runners were able to move up a base on a wild pitch.  Derner then delivered a two-RBI double to straight-away center field.  Derner came around to score on a Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) double that found the gap in right-center to make it a 5-4 game.  The rally fell short as the next three Pioneer batters went down in order.

Junior J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) suffered the loss for WP throwing 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, striking out four.  Junior Matt Goitz (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) allowed one run on two hits in his 2.1 innings of relief, and freshman Tom Gaccione (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) allowed one hit in 1.2 innings of work.

The win went to senior Andrew Cavalier who allowed three runs in 7.0 innings pitched, striking out five.  Andrew Hoffman collected his first save of the year, allowing one run in 2.0 innings.  Hydock went 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Hall was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Derner was a combined 5-for-9 for the Pioneers with five runs batted in and three runs scored.

William Paterson will host New Paltz for a non-conference match-up on Tuesday, April 24 at 4:00 p.m.