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WAYNE, N.J. – Trailing 8-2 early, the William Paterson baseball team (17-15, 6-6 NJAC) chipped away to force extra innings against Rutgers-Newark (12-21, 4-8 NJAC), eventually taking advantage of two singles and an error for a 9-8, 11-inning victory April 22.
 
The win was an important one for the Pioneers, who are sixth in the league standings with six league games to play. The top six teams qualify for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament that begins May 3.
 
The Scarlet Raiders crossed the plate twice during their first at-bat. Senior right fielder Billy Taylor led off with a double to left-center field, was sacrificed to third by sophomore third baseman Brian Boulineau and scored on a Josh Cote RBI-single to right center. Senior pitcher Ryan MacFarlane's base hit moved Cote to third, and he trotted home when senior first baseman Cameron Dias singled up the middle.
 
WP answered with two runs of its own during the home half of the first. A leadoff double to left by graduate student shortstop K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) was followed by a groundout and an RBI-single through the left side by junior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan). Back-to-back base hits from junior designated hitter Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) and senior right fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) moved Knauf around to home and made it a 2-2 game.
 
Rutgers-Newark exploded for a six-run third. Cote walked and MacFarlane singled to right field to put runners on the corners, and MacFarlane advanced to second base on defensive indifference. A Dias sac fly was followed by MacFarlane stealing third and scoring via a wild pitch. Sophomore catcher Justin Marks and sophomore center fielder Anthony Perconte were issued bases on balls, and after a strikeout, freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker walked to load the bases. A grounder down the first-base line was mishandled, allowing all three runners to score with two outs, and Boulineau added an RBI-single through the left side for an 8-2 edge.
 
Colon drilled a shot over the fence in left field, a solo homer during the bottom half of the third.
 
Abel opened the fifth inning with a double to right and, two batters later, Colon's base hit up the middle cut the lead to 8-4.
 
Four eighth-inning, two-out runs knotted the score at 8-8. After starting the frame with a strikeout and popup, senior pinch hitter Justin Ferreira (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) singled up the middle, senior third baseman Victor Sanchez (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) walked and junior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) put down a bunt that hugged the third-base line, eventually hitting the bag for a base hit. Abel singled to left field to plate two runs, and a wild pitch and Knauf base on balls loaded the bags for Colon, who drilled a two-run single through the left side of the infield.
 
WP threatened again in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on third and one out. Rutgers-Newark elected to intentionally walk senior left fielder Jordan Aughey (Wanaque, N.J./Lakeland Regional) and Sanchez to load the bases, and got out of the jam with groundball outs to the plate and second base.
 
The Scarlet Raiders had runners on the corners with one out during the top of the 10th inning, but a 6-3 double play ended the frame.
 
A one-out walk issued to sophomore pitcher Anthony Hernandez in the top half of the 11th inning led to a bunt by Boulineau up the first-base line. The tag applied by freshman first baseman Garret Wiedemann (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) was originally ruled as an out, but was overturned on appeal. However, a 6-4-3 double play wiped out the controversy and ended the frame.
 
A popup started the home half of the 11th, but sophomore second baseman Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) followed with a hit driven down the right-field line that the fielder did well to hold to a single. Aughey then drilled a pitch down the left-field line and Eggert was running hard into third base when the fielder had trouble picking up the ball, allowing Eggert to continue home safely with the game-winning run.
 
Colon finished 4-for-6 with a home run and four RBI. Abel went 2-for-6 while adding a double, two RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Abate and Eggert both were 2-for-5.
 
Sophomore starter Mario Danza (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Twp.) allowed four runs on five hits and one walk over 2.1 innings. Freshman Kevin Ludden (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Twp.) gave up two unearned runs and a pair of walks, while sophomore Steve Duda (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Governor Livingston) tossed 7.0 strong innings, surrendering two unearned runs, four hits and a walk while striking out four. Freshman Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) scattered a hit and two walks over 1.2 innings for the win (2-1).
 
Taylor, Cote and MacFarlane each had two hits for the Scarlet Raiders.
 
MacFarlane pitched the first 6.0 innings, giving up four runs on nine hits with two strikeouts. Taylor allowed three hits, four runs and three walks while collecting one strikeout over 1.2 innings, and senior Chris Nichols scattered two hits and a pair of walks in 1.1 innings of work. Hernandez took the loss (0-1) after surrendering one unearned run and two hits over 1.2 innings.
 
William Paterson will play a doubleheader at Rowan Saturday, April 23, at 11:30 a.m.
 
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