AUBURNDALE, FLA. – The William Paterson baseball team (5-3) dropped a 10-3 decision to No. 1 SUNY Cortland (10-0) March 13 at the Central Florida Invitational.
The defending national champions used a double and two wild pitches to score a single run during the top of the first inning, then added two more in the second via two errors, a wild pitch, a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly.
A single, sac bunt, walk, two-run double and RBI-single made it a 6-0 margin in the third.
The Pioneers got one run back during the home half of the third. Senior left fielder
Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and junior center fielder
Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) hit one-out singles to right, and a fielder's choice from graduate student third baseman
K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) plated Garguilo.
The Red Dragons opened the fourth inning with back-to-back walks, then put together a sacrifice and groundout to plate a run. A later RBI-single made it an 8-1 contest.
A walk, groundout and error added one more run for Cortland in the top of the fifth. Senior
Justin Ferreira (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) led off the bottom of the same frame with a pinch-hit single, sophomore shortstop
Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) had a base hit through the left side, and two batters later an error allowed Ferreira to cross the plate.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, the Red Dragons strung together a single, walk and base hit to take a 10-2 lead. Ferreira finished the scoring with a leadoff home run to left during the bottom of the seventh.
Ferreira was 3-for-3 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. Abate finished 2-for-4.
Junior starter
Mike Sasso (West Orange, N.J./Montclair Kimberley) allowed eight runs (six earned) and four hits in 3.0 innings, striking out two and walking three (0-2). Freshman
Chris Phillips (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) gave up one hit in 1.0 inning, sophomore
Steve Addesso (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) allowed one unearned run on one strikeout and one walk in 1.0 inning of work, and freshman
Jeff Lombardi (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) surrendered two hits, one walk and one run over 2.0 innings. Sophomore
Steve Duda (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Governor Livingston) pitched the final 2.0 innings, scattering two hits while registering one strikeout and a base on balls.
Cortland's Matt Personius was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior Tanner Whiteman improved to 4-0 with 5.0 innings of four-hit ball, allowing two runs (one earned) while striking out three.
William Paterson will play a doubleheader against Franklin and Marshall Monday, March 14, at 9:45 a.m. at the Central Florida Invitational.
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http://www.wpupioneers.com and
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