BOX SCORE (Game #1)
BOX SCORE (Game #2)
WAYNE, N.J. – Led by seniors Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall) and Samantha Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.), the William Paterson softball team (14-16, 6-6 NJAC) completed a doubleheader sweep of Baruch (10-12) April 18. The Pioneers defeated the Bearcats 4-0 in the opener and 10-0 in game two (five innings).
GAME ONE
Hand hit a two-run home run and threw 7.0 shutout innings to lead the Pioneers to a 4-0 victory in game one.
The Pioneers got on the board during the bottom of the third. With two outs, senior outfielder Mulderig reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on a single from sophomore second baseman Christina Austin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.).
Baruch rallied in the fifth, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Hand forced a pop out to end the inning.
WP added to their lead during the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Principe (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from freshman outfielder Kelsey Wimmershoff (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge). A double from Mulderig plated the Pioneers' second run of the game.
The next inning, Hand blasted a two-run home run over the left-field fence to give William Paterson a 4-0 lead after six innings of play.
Mulderig paced the Pioneers, recording two hits, one RBI and a run scored. Hand (4-4) allowed five hits and struck out three batters in 7.0 shutout innings to earn the win.
Christine Bowman went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Bearcats. Nicole Flint (7-6) took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings.
GAME TWO
Two home runs and five RBI from Mulderig lifted the Pioneers to a 10-0, five-inning victory in game two.
The Pioneers score five runs during both the fourth and the fifth innings.
The bottom of the fourth started with back-to-back doubles from sophomore outfielder Lauren Bogart (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) and sophomore first baseman Melissa Swain (West Berlin, N.J./Paul VI) for WP's first run of the game. Senior second baseman Mandy Muraca (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) followed with a single to left, advancing Swain to third. A single from freshman third baseman Erika Tucker (Cream Ridge, N.J./New Egypt) and a throwing error scored two more runs for the Pioneers. Mulderig followed by blasting a two-run home run over the left-field fence to give the Pioneers a 5-0 lead.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, junior pinch-hitter Danielle Capozzi (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) singled and advanced to third on two wild pitches. Bogart walked and sophomore Keanna Ross (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) lined a pinch-hit single to plate Capozzi. Muraca followed with a single of her own, loading the bases with no outs. After Bogart scored on a groundout, Mulderig lined a three-run, inside-the-park home run to give the Pioneers a 10-0 lead and end the game.
Muraca went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored for the Pioneers. Chelsea Batelli (Wayne, N.J./DePaul Catholic) improved to 6-7 on the season, allowing just three hits and striking out five in 5.0 shutout innings.
Three different players accounted for Baruch's three hits. Christine Bowman (2-4) took the loss for the Bearcats, allowing five runs on six hits in 3.0 innings.
William Paterson will host Rutgers-Camden for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 20, at 1:00 p.m.
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