GALLOWAY, N.J. – William Paterson (26-9-1, 13-5 NJAC) secured the third seed for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Tournament with a 5-2, 8-3 (nine innings) sweep at Stockton (17-18, 5-13 NJAC) in the regular-season finale April 25.
 
The Pioneers will host fourth-seeded The College of New Jersey in the first round of the NJAC Tournament Tuesday, April 28, at 4:00 p.m. Top-seeded Rowan will host the remainder of the double-elimination tourney Friday-Sunday, May 1-3.
 
Game One
WP fought back from a 2-1 deficit for a 5-2 opening win.
 
The Pioneers struck first, as sophomore designated player Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) reached on a leadoff error, advanced to second thanks to a groundout and scored when junior left fielder Kelsey Wimmershoff (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) doubled to left-center field during the top of the second inning.
 
The Ospreys answered with a Holly Arentowicz two-run homer during the bottom half of the fourth.
 
WP regained the lead with a three-run sixth. Senior center fielder Kelsey Principe (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) was issued a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by sophomore shortstop Rachel Wasilak (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) before trotting home when Castelli doubled to left center. Senior Kristen Gardner (Audubon, N.J./Methacton) delivered a pinch-hit RBI-single up the middle, and sophomore catcher Kim Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) drove in the final run of the frame with a base hit up the middle, making it a 4-2 margin.
 
Singles from sophomore right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) and Wasilak resulted in one more William Paterson score in the seventh.
 
Seven Pioneers each had a hit, and sophomore Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) picked up the victory (9-4), allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
 
Arentowicz finished 1-for-3 with a two-run home run for Stockton. Senior Brittany Ksiezopolski (8-6) gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits with a strikeout and two walks.
 
Game Two
After allowing the Ospreys to force extra innings, the Pioneers scored five runs during the ninth inning for an 8-3 victory.
 
An error to start the top of the third inning allowed senior third baseman Lachelle Rouse (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook Senior) to reach base, and she was lifted for pinch runner Carly Satter (Branchville, N.J./High Point Regional). She was sacrificed to second and advanced to third via a flyout, then crossed the plate for the game's first run when Nicole Fryer singled to right-center field.
 
Principe and Wasilak started the top of the sixth with base hits, and an error allowed Principe to scamper home and leave runners on the corners. Wimmershoff's sac fly plated Wasilak, and William Paterson owned a 3-0 edge.
 
Stockton knotted the score at 3-3 with one out during the bottom of the seventh inning when sophomore Lauren Knoble belted a three-run homer over the left-field fence.
 
After a scoreless eighth, Kim Fryer started the top of the ninth inning on second base. Rouse's bunt was a fielder's choice that didn't result in an out, and freshman second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) followed with an infield single to load the bases. After a grounder that led to the first out of the inning being recorded at the plate, Nicole Fryer's base hit to left-center field plated two runs, and after a Principe single again loaded the bases, Wasilak cleared them with her two-bagger to center.
 
Wasilak finished 2-for-5, hit a double, drove in three runs and scored once herself. Nicole Fryer went 2-for-4 and posted three RBI and a run scored, while Poretti was 3-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Senior Kerrin Dys (North Arlington, N.J./North Arlington) allowed three runs and eight hits over 7.0 innings, while Podmajersky picked up the win in relief (10-4) with 2.0 scoreless innings inside the circle, striking out four while giving up one hit.
 
Knoble went 2-for-4 with the three-run homer for Stockton. Junior Samantha Shockey tossed the first 8.1 innings and surrendered 11 hits and eight runs (five earned) while striking out three. Freshman Hannah Bibeault recorded the final two outs.
 
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