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WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (24-11, 11-5 NJAC) rallied from a 5-4 deficit heading into the bottom of the eighth inning to finish off the regular-season sweep of Montclair State (12-18-1, 4-11-1 NJAC) with a 6-5 victory April 26.  In the process, the Pioneers secured a top-three seed for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Baseball Tournament, and with it, a first-round home game Tuesday, April 30, at 3:30 p.m.

The Red Hawks struck first with a single second-inning run.  Senior designated hitter Scott Glozzy was issued a leadoff walk, followed by a grounder off the bat of Mike Tolerico.  Junior shortstop Rich Guillod (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley-Demarest) fielded and stepped on second, but his throw to first was wide, resulting in Tolerico being awarded second.  Junior second baseman Lou Martini then singled up the middle to plate the runner and make it a 1-0 game.

That lead was short lived, as WP answered with a three-run bottom half of the inning.  Senior catcher Vin Fondacaro (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) doubled to right-center field to open the frame, and after a groundout, junior first baseman Anthony DeEsposito (Ridgefield, N.J./Ridgefield Memorial) walked.  Senior outfielder Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) drilled a ball off the base of the fence in center, a triple that drove in Fondacaro and DeEsposito, and a perfectly-executed bunt by freshman outfielder Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) squeezed home Gibbons and handed the Pioneers a 3-1 advantage.

MSU used a Jose Carlos Padilla leadoff triple and a Connor Abreu RBI-groundout to make it a 3-2 score during the top half of the third.

Fondacaro again started an inning with a double, this time during the bottom of the fourth, and junior designated hitter Trevor Haughney's (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) single put runners on the corners.  DeEsposito lifted a fly ball to center field, a sacrifice fly that pushed across Fondacaro and extended the lead to 4-2.

Montclair State tied it up with single runs during both the sixth and seventh.  Abreu walked, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and trotted home thanks to a Stephen Nappe sac fly.  The Red Hawks then took advantage of an error to start the seventh, sacrificed Jayson Stolz to second and then received a RBI-triple from Padilla.

The Red Hawks regained the lead with a one-run eighth.  Glozzy hit a two-out double to right center, followed by a pinch-hit single into center by Nicholas Martins.  Gibbons tried to scoop the rolling ball to throw home, but it got under his glove, allowing Glozzy to easily cross the plate.

WP forged the second tie of the game after Flores delivered a leadoff single to left, advanced to second via a Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) sacrifice and came around to score when Guillod dropped a ball down the right-field line that resulted in a ground-rule double.

The Pioneers worked out of a jam with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth.  Cody Pace's grounder to first was thrown to the plate for the second out of the inning, and Nappe's grounder was picked up by Guillod and he stepped on third base to end the threat.

After a groundout to begin the bottom half of the ninth inning, Gibbons drew a walk, and later advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch.  At that point, MSU elected to intentionally walk pinch hitter Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills), but reliever P.J. Jennings was called for a balk, moving Gibbons to third base.  Sophomore Anthony Altieri was called from the bullpen, and Ptaszynski hit his offering down the first-base line.  Gibbons broke for home on contact, and when Nappe couldn't handle the ground ball there was no chance for a play at the plate, allowing William Paterson to finish the rally and its second home walk-off conference win of the season.

Fondacaro was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Flores and Guillod each contributed a pair of hits.

Senior starter Steve Coral (Totowa, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) had a no-decision, giving up four runs (two earned) and five hits in 6.2 innings.  Freshman Adam Miller (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) picked up the win in relief (3-1), allowing a run and four hits in 2.1 innings of work.

Glozzy led the Red Hawks at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a double and run scored, while Padilla's two hits were both triples.  Junior starter Dylan Papa gave up five runs and seven hits in 7.1 innings.  Jennings was charged with the loss (0-2), surrendering the go-ahead run and two walks in 0.2 inning.

William Paterson will celebrate Senior Day when it hosts Rutgers-Newark Saturday, April 27, at 11:30 a.m.

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