Video Highlights 

WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson softball team (16-4, 2-2 NJAC) rallied during its last at-bat for a 5-4 opening victory, then pulled away for a 7-2 win in the night cap against visiting Montclair State (14-6, 0-2 NJAC) April 6.
 
Game One
The Pioneers scored four seventh-inning runs for a come-from-behind 5-4 victory.
 
The Red Hawks pushed across three runs during the top of the third. Sophomore shortstop Tina Ciacciarelli singled up the middle and freshman left fielder Lauren Booth sacrificed her to second before an RBI-single from sophomore second baseman Noel Hodgins and a two-run homer by senior pitcher Brooke Powers.
 
WP got one run back in the home half of the sixth. Junior catcher Kim Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) sent a two-out single through the left side and junior right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) followed with a base hit through the right side of the infield. Junior designated hitter Salina Pellios (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) then drilled a RBI-single up the middle to make it a 3-1 game.
 
MSU tacked on a single score in the top of the seventh. Ciacciarelli reached on a one-out error and was replaced by sophomore pinch runner Schyler Edwards, who moved to second thanks to a wild pitch. Booth's base hit through the left side left runners on the corners, and freshman center fielder Victoria Gehring plated Edwards with a single down the left-field line.
 
Freshman pinch hitter Jillian Bainbridge (Princeton, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) started the bottom of the seventh inning by drawing a walk, and was replaced on the base paths by junior pitcher Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South). After a lineout, sophomore center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) put down a bunt and beat out the throw for a base hit, then freshman third baseman Karley Jo Greulich (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) dropped a hit into shallow right-center field for a double that drove in Podmajersky. Sophomore second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) doubled in Lutas, and Kim Fryer's hit by pitch loaded the bases for Nicole Fryer, who kept the rally going with an RBI-single to center field that tied the game at 4-4. Pellios then delivered the winning run with a base hit to center that drove in Poretti.
 
Nicole Fryer was 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Pellios finished 2-for-3 while driving in the game-winning run. Kim Fryer went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
 
Podmajersky (10-2) allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk, striking out four during the complete-game win.
 
Powers was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, and she gave up five runs on nine hits and three walks over 6.1 innings (6-3). Freshman Sam Keating gave up two hits to the two batters she faced during the seventh inning.
 
Game Two
A four-run first inning helped lift the Pioneers to a 7-2 win in the second game.
 
Junior shortstop Rachel Wasilak (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) led off the home half of the first with a single up the middle, Lutas followed with a bunt single and Greulich advanced the runners with a sacrifice. Poretti's base hit through the left side scored the game's first two runs, and after a groundout, Nicole Fryer was issued a base on balls and alertly moved towards second when the ball got away from the catcher. The throw by the pitcher to second was wide, and Nicole Fryer and Poretti both touched home on the play for a 4-0 margin.
 
The Red Hawks used a Hodgins two-out single, Powers base hit up the middle, Lia Stamile RBI-single to center, and Ali Walek and Victoria Soohoo walks to post two runs during the top of the third inning.
 
WP added three fifth-inning insurance runs. Junior Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) started the frame with a base on balls and reached second thanks to an error off a batted ball by Wasilak. After a foulout, Greulich placed a single down the left-field line to load the bases, and an error on a ground ball was enough to plate Castelli. A fielder's choice allowed Wasilak to touch home, and Nicole Fryer's sac fly scored Greulich to hand the Pioneers a 7-2 edge.
 
Poretti was one of six Pioneers with a hit, and she drove in two runs. Castelli (6-2) scattered four hits and five walks over 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs while striking out seven.
 
Powers led MSU at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 and scoring a run. Keating (5-2) allowed six runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks, striking out two in 4.0 innings inside the circle. Booth gave up one unearned run and three hits over 2.0 innings.
 
William Paterson will play a doubleheader at Staten Island Thursday, April 7, at 4:00 p.m.
 
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