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

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

WAYNE, N.J. – Senior Michele Graham (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) and sophomore Rachel Cannata (Waldwick, N.J./Paramus Catholic) combined to allow just seven hits as No. 20 William Paterson (26-8, 9-5 NJAC) swept visiting Richard Stockton (21-13, 2-12 NJAC), 2-0 and 3-0, in a softball doubleheader April 21 at Pioneer Softball Field.

GAME ONE
The game's only runs crossed the plate thanks to a single first-inning wild pitch, giving the Pioneers an opening 2-0 victory.

Freshman second baseman Christina Austin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) and sophomore shortstop Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J./Pope John XXIII) hit hard grounders for infield singles, and senior outfielder Raquel Roder's (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) long fly ball landed at the base of the fence in left-center field, loading the bases.  A ball in the dirt got through the Osprey catcher's feet and to the fence, allowing Austin to score easily and Miele to slide safely under the tag for a two-run wild pitch.

The Ospreys' best chance to tie it up came in the sixth inning with a two-out single by Katelyn Derewecki and a Grace Long walk, but pinch hitter Stephanie Darrow flied out to center field to end the threat.

Austin finished 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead William Paterson at the plate.  Graham tossed a complete-game five-hitter (13-3), striking out four and walking one.

Pitcher Jamie Gasko accounted for two of Richard Stockton's five hits at the plate.  She fell to 6-5 inside the circle, striking out three and walking one while surrendering two earned runs on seven hits.

GAME TWO 
The Pioneers got another strong pitching performance, finishing the sweep with a 3-0 shutout victory.

With one out in the bottom of the third, junior outfielder Samantha Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) laced a double to left center, and later advanced to third thanks to a wild pitch.  Miele then drilled a liner over the head of the Stockton center fielder, a two-bagger that drove in Mulderig to break the scoreless tie.

William Paterson added a pair of sixth-inning insurance runs.  Freshman first baseman Jessica Phillips (Woolwich, N.J./Kingsway Regional) dropped a double onto the left-field line to start the frame and was replaced by pinch runner Kelsey Principe (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany).  Roder walked and Cannata sacrificed to move the runners up a base.  Freshman third baseman Melissa Swain (West Berlin, N.J./Paul VI) delivered Principe and Roder with a base hit to right field, making it a 3-0 margin.    

Cannata carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when Austin got to a hard-hit Gasko grounder up the middle, but could not make the play to first base in time.

Six different Pioneers accounted for WP's six hits.  Cannata (5-2) walked two and struck out one in a complete-game two-hit effort.

Gasko accounted for both of the Ospreys' hits, the second a slow roller up the first-base line during the top of the seventh.  Michelle Pietrocola fell to 9-5, giving up three runs on six hits, walking three and striking out four.

William Paterson will play a league twin bill at Kean Tuesday, April 24, at 3:00 p.m.