Video Highlights 

WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson softball team (9-6-1) fell to visiting Stevens (12-1-1), 5-4 in 10 innings, during the first game of a doubleheader April 2, then picked up a 1-1 draw in the night cap in a game halted due to darkness.
 
Game One
Two Duck runs during the top of the seventh forced extra innings, and Stevens eventually came away with a 5-4 win.
 
The Pioneers crossed the plate once during the bottom half of the second. Senior designated player Kristen Gardner (Audubon, N.J./Methacton) drilled a double to center to start the frame, and was lifted for flex runner Carly Satter (Branchville, N.J./High Point Regional). Senior catcher Lachelle Rouse (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) then sacrificed Satter to third, and sophomore pitcher Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) attempted a squeeze bunt that went to the pitcher. The throw home was in time, but was dropped by the Ducks' catcher, an error that resulted in the game's first run.
 
WP added two more scores in the third. Junior left fielder Kelsey Wimmershoff (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) was issued a one-out walk and was driven in when sophomore third baseman Rachel Wasilak (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) tripled to center. A Gardner sac fly to center field plated Wasilak and made it a 3-0 margin.
 
The Ducks used a fielder's choice and three singles to load the bases with no one out during the top of the fifth, and an error allowed Stevens' Noelle Mulligan to score from third for a 3-1 game.
 
Stevens struck twice in the seventh. Junior center fielder Gavriella Risman-Jones hit a two-out single through the left side, and a throwing error on a batted ball from junior second baseman Sydney Spitz left runners on second and third. Senior catcher Jamie DeGennaro delivered the tying runs with a base hit through the left side of the infield.
 
WP got a two-out triple from sophomore right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South), but couldn't knock her in during the home half of the seventh.
 
The Ducks had runners on the corners to start the eighth, but a lineout, an out at the plate and another liner allowed William Paterson to get out of the jam. The Pioneers sacrificed the runner to third base to open the bottom half of the same frame, but a lineout and flyout ended the threat.
 
A grounder to third caught the Stevens runner trying to advance from second to open the ninth, and WP was able to tag her out as well as the batter trying to get to second, a double play that kept the Ducks off the scoreboard. The Pioneers were once again able to sacrifice the tiebreaker runner from second to third, but a pair of strikeouts ended the bottom half of the ninth.
 
An error on a sacrifice attempt put runners on the corners for Stevens during the top of the 10th inning, and two groundouts were followed by a double from sophomore third baseman Emily Sellitti for a 5-3 score.
 
Sophomore pitcher Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) started the home half of the 10th on second base, and she promptly scored thanks to a throwing error on freshman shortstop Kaitlyn Poretti's (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) sacrifice attempt. After a flyout, senior pinch hitter Keanna Ross (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) singled into left field, but the potential tying run in Poretti was thrown out at the plate on the play, and then a final groundout ended the game.
 
Nicole Fryer was 3-for-5 with a triple. Podmajersky allowed five hits and three unearned runs during 7.0 innings inside the circle, striking out nine while walking two. Castelli (4-3) gave up two unearned runs on one hit over 3.0 innings with a punchout.
 
DeGennaro finished 1-for-5 with two RBI. Senior Kayla Berardi (6-1) surrendered six hits and four runs (two earned), posting seven strikeouts and a walk during the complete-game victory.
 
Game Two
Stevens owned a 7-3 lead with WP runners on the corners with one out during the bottom of the eighth inning, but darkness would not allow the game to be completed. Since the home team was trailing and the inning could not be completed, the game reverted back statistically to the last completed inning, resulting in a 1-1 tie after seven frames.
 
Wimmershoff walked to start the bottom of the second, was sacrificed by sophomore catcher Kim Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) to second and scored on a Castelli RBI-single for a 1-0 Pioneer edge.
 
The Ducks again rallied to even the contest during the top of the seventh inning. Risman-Jones hit a one-out single through the right side, and after a flyout, freshman pitcher Olivia Gemma drove her in with a base hit to right center.
 
WP had a chance for the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out, put the runner on third was picked off, and after an error again loaded the bases, a groundout allowed Stevens to record the third out of the inning.
 
Castelli was 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate, and she gave up one run on eight hits inside the circle, collecting three strikeouts and two walks.
 
Risman-Jones was 4-for-4 and scored a run for the Ducks. Gemma pitched the complete game, allowing a run on seven hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.
 
William Paterson will play a doubleheader at Rutgers-Newark Friday, April 3, at 2:00 p.m.
 
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