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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (15-5, 1-1 NJAC) used a four-run fifth inning to help pull away from St. Joseph's-Long Island (14-10, 9-1 Skyline) for an 11-5 baseball victory April 3 at Jeff Albies Field. 

A sacrifice fly by center fielder Brian Hannigan plated Dennis Nover, who singled to lead off the game, putting the Golden Eagles ahead, 1-0.  The Pioneers responded with a leadoff double by junior outfielder Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock).  Gibbons stole third and came around to score on senior Jack Montanile's (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) sacrifice fly to knot the score at 1-1.

Nover led off the third inning with a triple to left field for St. Joseph's, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Charles Zilnicki.  Montanile's two-out single through the middle set up senior Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional), who blasted his seventh home run of the season to put the Pioneers in front, 3-2, after three innings of play.

Zilnicki's two-out single, followed by a Rich Pecoraro single through the right side had the Golden Eagle offense in motion in the top of the fifth inning. Zilnicki scored on a Hannigan single to right field to even the score at 3-3.  WP answered back in the bottom half of the frame as a two-out error allowed Montanile to reach base.  Derner was issued a walk, and junior catcher Vin Fondacaro (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) singled down the right-field line to score Montanile.  Senior Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) singled through the left side to allow Derner to scamper home, and Scott Ptaszynski's (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) two-RBI double put the Pioneers ahead, 7-3.

Gibbons was hit by a pitch and stole second and third for the Pioneers with one out in the bottom of the sixth.  Sophomore A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) walked and stole second.  Gibbons used his speed to score on a wild pitch, and Flores trailed to go to third.  Montanile plated Flores on a sacrifice fly to make the score 9-3.

Nover's one-out single, followed by Zilnicki's double down the right-field line allowed another run to score for the Golden Eagles, cutting the deficit to 9-4.

Back-to-back singles by Gibbons and Flores led off the Pioneer eighth.  Derner singled to left field to allow Gibbons to score, and Dorio singled in Montanile, who reached on a fielder's choice, to put the score at 11-4 in favor of WP.  St. Joseph's added a run in the top of the ninth as Hannigan's fielder's choice plated Kenny Willms for a final 11-5 score.

Junior Glenn Flora (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) picked up his first win of the season allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.  Senior Dan Alcala (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) threw 1.0 inning in relief allowing one earned run.  Junior Matt Goitz (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) allowed just one hit and struck out one in 1.0 inning of relief.  Junior J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) closed the game for the Pioneers allowing one run on one hit in 1.0 inning.

Joe Polite took the loss for the Golden Eagles allowing eight runs (four earned) in 5.1 innings, striking out three.  Thomas Moore allowed one earned run in 0.2 innings and Matthew Glotzer threw 2.0 innings allowing two earned runs on five hits, striking out one.  Hannigan finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and Zilnicki was 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Derner was 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Dorio went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.  Fondacaro finished the day 3-for-5 with a RBI and Gibbons was 3-for-4 with three runs scored.

William Paterson will host Drew University on Wednesday, April 4 at 4:30 p.m.