CLERMONT, FLA. – The William Paterson softball team ran its program-record, season-opening win streak to eight games with a 6-3 victory against Frostburg State (8-5) and a 4-1 win against Ripon (0-8) March 17 at The Spring Games.
 
Game One
Three runs in the top of the seventh inning lifted the Pioneers to a 6-3 triumph against the Bobcats.
 
A double, walk and triple handed Frostburg State a 2-0 edge during the bottom of the first inning.
 
WP got one run back in the fifth. Senior first baseman Tracy Geller (Commack, N.Y./Commack) reached on a one-out walk and advanced to second thanks to a two-out error. Junior shortstop Rachel Wasilak (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) followed with an RBI-single to left to make it a 2-1 margin.
 
The Pioneers took a 3-2 lead during the top of the sixth inning. Freshman third baseman Karley Jo Greulich (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) led off with a double to right, and she scored when freshman designated player Jillian Bainbridge (Princeton, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) singled up the middle and ran to second on the throw home. Bainbridge was replaced on the base paths by junior catcher Kim Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South), who was sacrificed to third by senior left fielder Kelsey Wimmershoff (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge). Junior pitcher Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) scored Kim Fryer with a sacrifice fly to center.
 
Three singles and a sacrifice tied the score for Frostburg State during the home half of the sixth, 3-3.
 
William Paterson broke the deadlock in the top of the seventh. Sophomore center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) and Wasilak hit one-out singles, and following a flyout, Greulich singled in Lutas and Kim Fryer doubled in Wasilak and Greulich.
 
Greulich went 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and two runs scored, while Bainbridge finished 2-for-3 and drove in a run. Wasilak was 2-for-4 and posted an RBI and run scored.
 
Podmajersky (5-0) allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks during the complete-game victory.
 
Senior left fielder Taylor Blevins went 3-for-3 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Allison Short (3-2) gave up six runs (five earned) and nine hits over 7.0 innings with two strikeouts and three walks.
 
Game Two
WP scored the game's first three runs on its way to a 4-1 victory against Ripon.
 
Junior right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) opened the bottom of the first with a base hit to left, stole second and advanced to third on a Lutas sacrifice. An error put Wasilak aboard and plated Nicole Fryer, and sophomore second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) followed with a single to put runners on the corners. A double steal allowed Wasilak to touch home and the Pioneers owned a 2-0 lead.
 
Lutas put down a leadoff bunt single in the fifth, stole second and reached third on an error on the play, then trotted home when Wasilak dropped an RBI-single into right field.
 
A bases-loaded sac fly put the Red Hawks on the board during the top of the sixth inning. Kim Fryer's single and an error left her on third base, and Geller drove her in with a sac fly to right during the home half of the same frame.
 
Poretti and Lutas were both 2-for-3 for the Pioneers.
 
Junior Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) gave up one run and five hits during the complete-game effort, registering five strikeouts and three walks (3-0).
 
Sophomore right fielder Casey O'Malley finished 2-for-2 for Ripon. Classmate Rebeeccah Jones (0-1) surrendered four runs (three earned) and eight hits during 6.0 innings of work with one strikeout and two walks.
 
William Paterson will face Kalamazoo at 5:00 p.m. and St. Scholastica at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 18.
 
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