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

CLERMONT, FLA. – William Paterson (1-1) began its 2013 softball season with a split at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.  The Pioneers defeated St. Scholastica (6-6), 6-5, but fell to Western New England (1-0), 2-0.

GAME ONE
Junior shortstop Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J. Pope John XXIII) and sophomore second baseman Christina Austin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) each contributed a pair of hits to a 6-5 win against St. Scholastica.

The Pioneers struck first with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first.  Miele hit a two-out triple to left, followed by an error that put Samantha Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) aboard and allowed Miele to cross the plate.  Another error gave WP runners on the corners, and a third error was enough to send Mulderig home.

St. Scholastica surged ahead with a four-run fourth inning, taking advantage of two doubles, a pair of singles and two Pioneer errors.

William Paterson answered by tying the game during the home half of the same frame.  Mulderig led off with a double to center, freshman catcher Lachelle Rouse (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) drew a one-out walk, and a fly ball allowed the two runners to move up a base for freshman outfielder Kelsey Wimmershoff (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge), who drilled a two-run triple to right field.  WP tacked on two more runs in the fifth via an Austin home run to left and a Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) sacrifice fly, handing the Pioneers a 6-4 lead.

Two singles, a flyout and a passed ball put the tying run in scoring position for the Saints during the top of the sixth.  Another single cut the lead in half, but freshman Chelsea Batelli (Wayne, N.J./DePaul Catholic) came on in relief of Hand and induced a lineout and a popup to end the inning.

Austin was 2-for-3 with a home run, while Miele also finished 2-for-3 and contributed a triple and two runs scored.

Hand (1-0) threw 5.1 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits and striking out two.  Batelli picked up the save (one), retiring all five batters she faced.

Andrea Mogren led St. Scholastica at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI.  Micah McGuiness suffered the loss (2-2), giving up seven hits and six runs (four earned) in 6.0 innings.

GAME TWO
Single runs in the second and fourth innings allowed Western New England to come away with a 2-0 victory against the Pioneers.

A leadoff error, a walk and a two-out single gave the Golden Bears an early 1-0 lead, and a double, sacrifice and base hit made it a 2-0 game at the end of the fourth.  WP had the tying run on base during the top of the seventh, but a lineout and flyout ended the game.

Miele, Ross and Hand accounted for the Pioneers' three hits.  Sophomore Kerrin Dys (North Arlington, N.J./North Arlington) took the loss (0-1), giving up four hits and two runs (one earned), walking three and striking out one.

The Golden Bears got their four hits from four different players.  Lauren Zambrano (1-0) struck out seven Pioneers in 7.0 innings inside the circle.

William Paterson will face Trinity and Bowdoin at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., respectively, on Sunday, March 17.

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