PURCHASE, N.Y. – William Paterson (10-7) rallied to forge a 6-6 tie during the fifth inning, but host Manhattanville (8-6) later scored three straight runs for a 9-8 baseball victory March 23.
 
The Pioneers struck first, as junior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) started the game with a triple to center field and graduate student shortstop K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) followed with an RBI-single to center.
 
The Valiants tied the score at 1-1 with a pair of doubles and a wild pitch during the home half of the first.
 
Abate opened the third inning with a double to left, senior right fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) hit a one-out single to third and junior catcher Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) lifted a sac fly to center for a 2-1 WP advantage.
 
A double, single and groundout tied the score for Manhattanville in the third, and the Valiants went on to add an RBI-single, stolen base, walk and a run-scoring base hit for a 4-2 edge after three frames.
 
Manhattanville plated two more scores in the fourth, stringing together a triple, single, steal and base hit.
 
Four Pioneer runs tied the game at 6-6 during the top of the fifth inning. Senior left fielder Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and Abate singled and Abel walked to load the bases, and back-to-back bases on balls issued to Kenny and Colon forced across two runners. A fielder's choice off the bat of junior designated hitter Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) plated Abel, and two batters later an error allowed Kenny to cross the plate with the tying run.
 
A two-out walk and base hit gave the Valiants runners on the corners, and a two-run single to left center made it an 8-6 Manhattanville sixth-inning edge. A pinch-hit solo home run pushed it to 9-6 after seven frames.
 
Walks issued to senior third baseman Justin Ferreira (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) and Garguilo led to an Abate RBI-single through the left side, and Abel followed with a run-scoring groundout in the top of the eighth.
 
Abate went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, RBI and three runs scored. Abel and Colon each contributed a pair of runs-batted-in.
 
Freshman Chase Strynkowski (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) tossed 2.2 innings as the starter, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk. Sophomore Steve Duda (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Governor Livingston) gave up four hits, two runs and a walk over 0.2 inning, and freshman Chris Phillips (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) walked one batter in 0.2 inning of work. Junior Mike Sasso (West Orange, N.J./Montclair Kimberley) surrendered three runs on three hits and two walks, striking out three (0-4), while freshman Chris Babb (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) gave up a hit and a walk during 1.0 inning on the mound.
 
Senior shortstop Jordanis Nunez went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored, and sophomore first baseman Danny Gallagher was 3-for-5 and posted two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored. Senior David Mangum earned the win in relief (1-0) with 2.1 shutout innings of middle relief, scattering two hits while issuing a walk. Sophomore Dennis Berardi picked up the save (one) with 1.2 innings of one-hit ball.
 
William Paterson will host Staten Island Tuesday, March 29, at 3:30 p.m.
 
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