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

UNION, N.J. –The William Paterson baseball team (29-11, 11-7 NJAC) split its final NJAC regular season double-header at Kean (28-10, 13-5 NJAC), April 28 at Jim Hynes Stadium.  The Pioneers took game one 6-1, but dropped the night cap 7-3.  Fourth-seeded WP will play at third-seeded Rowan in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament first round on Tuesday, May 1, at 3:30 p.m.

GAME ONE
William Paterson broke through in the top of the third inning as junior outfielder Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) doubled to right field scoring sophomore A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange), who had previously reached on a fielder's choice to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.  WP struck again in the sixth, beginning with a leadoff walk issued to Gibbons.  Sophomore second baseman Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) singled to third base, and senior designated hitter Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) reached on a fielder's choice, and moved to second on an error by the Cougar defense that allowed Gibbons to score. 

Senior shortstop Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) singled through the middle to leadoff the Pioneer eighth, and Gibbons laid down the sacrifice bunt to advance the runner.  Ptaszynski walked, and senior outfielder Jack Montanile (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) singled through the right side to score Dorio.  Derner was issued an intentional walk, and senior outfielder Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in Ptaszynski getting thrown out at the plate.  Junior third baseman James Lauer (Hamilton, N.J./Pennington Prep) doubled to left field to score two runs extending the lead, 5-0.

Dorio walked to start the Pioneer ninth, and Gibbons once again laid down the sacrifice bunt to move the runner up a base.  Ptaszynski singled up the middle to score Dorio, giving WP a 6-0 lead.

The Cougars responded in the bottom half of the frame beginning with a leadoff single by senior catcher Eddie Jennings.  Senior outfielder Dylan Laguna reached on a fielder's choice and both runners moved up a base on an error by the Pioneer defense.  Sophomore Joe O'Connor singled up the middle to score Jennings.

Junior James Young (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) threw a one-run complete game for the Pioneers, allowing eight hits and striking out six.

Junior Kevin Herget suffered the loss allowing six runs (five earned) in 8.1 innings, striking out 10.  O'Connor went 2-for-3 with a RBI, and sophomore Shane Alvarez went 2-for-5.

Lauer was 1-for-4 with two runs-batted-in, and Ptaszynski went 2-for-4 with a RBI.

GAME TWO
The Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Steve Sanguiliano sacrifice fly that plated Alvarez, who was hit by a pitch to start the game.  Kean tacked on another run in the bottom of the third.  Senior D.J. Breckenridge was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and moved to second on a Tyler Smarslok sacrifice bunt.  Breckenridge stole third and was able to score on a throwing error by the Pioneers.

William Paterson responded in the top of the fourth.  Ptaszynski reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning, and Montanile singled through the right side to put runners on the corners.  Both runners came in to score on a Derner double that bounced into left field to knot the score at 2-2.  The Cougars regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on Nick Zucchero's bunt suicide squeeze to score Laguna, who singled and moved over on a wild pitch and a ground out.

The Cougars went on to add runs in the fifth and sixth innings to extend the lead, 7-2.  The Pioneers added a run in the eighth inning as Derner started the inning with a double to center, and came around to score on a Mike Arnold (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) single that was laced over the head of the Kean second baseman. 

Junior J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) suffered the loss for the Pioneers allowing three earned runs in 3.1 innings.  Junior Matt Goitz (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) threw 3.2 innings in relief, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits.  Junior Glenn Flora (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) finished the game for WP throwing 1.0 inning, allowing one hit.

Senior Ryan Zamorsky improved to 7-1 on the season allowing two runs, one earned, in 7.0 innings.  Sanguiliano allowed one earned run on three hits in 2.0 relief innings, while also putting up a 2-for-4 effort with one RBI at the plate.  Laguna went 2-for-4.

Derner went 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI, and Somers was 2-for-4 with a run-batted-in.  Arnold went 1-for-1 after entering the game as a defensive replacement, driving in a run.

William Paterson secured the #4 seed in the NJAC tournament and will visit #3 Rowan in the NJAC tournament opener on Tuesday, May 1 at 3:30 p.m.