NEWARK, N.J. – William Paterson softball head coach Hallie Cohen earned her 800th career victory as the Pioneers (14-6, 6-0 NJAC) swept host Rutgers-Newark (9-13, 0-6 NJAC), 8-3 and 10-2 (six innings), April 9.
 
Cohen, who began the 2017 season ranked seventh among active Division III coaches in victories, is 801-460-5 in her 39th season overall and 606-304-4 during her 23rd season leading WP.
 
Game One
The Pioneers rallied from an early 3-2 deficit for an opening 8-3 victory.
 
Senior shortstop Rachel Wasilak (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) opened the day with a base hit through the left side, was sacrificed to second by freshman designated player Vanessa Archibold (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) and scored after an RBI-single to center field by senior right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South).
 
A leadoff walk, groundout and run-scoring single allowed the Scarlet Raiders to tie the game at 1-1 during the bottom of the second.
 
WP seized a 2-1 advantage in the third thanks to an Archibold base on balls, stolen base and pair of Rutgers-Newark errors.
 
Rutgers-Newark took its first lead at 3-2 during the bottom half of the same frame on three base hits and two errors.
 
Junior second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) led off the fourth with a ground-rule double, was sacrificed to third by senior first baseman Salina Pellios (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) and tied the game when senior catcher Kim Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) doubled to left-center field.
 
The Pioneers took control with a four-run fifth. Archibold had an infield single, Nicole Fryer reached via an error and junior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sophomore third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional) drove across two with a base hit to center, and an error and two-run Pellios single made it a 7-3 margin.
 
WP added one more in the sixth when Nicole Fryer doubled, Molnar singled and Griffith hit into a fielder's choice.
 
Griffith was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Nicole Fryer finished 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Pellios added a pair of RBI.
 
Senior Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) improved to 9-1, giving up three runs (one earned) on eight hits, one walk and five strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Freshman Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Conception) tossed the final 2.0 shutout innings, scattering one hit and two walks while striking out two.
 
Junior second baseman Kayla Gallo and freshman right fielder Brittany Kalesse were both 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Scarlet Raiders. Junior Kelly Yusko took the loss in relief (6-8) with four runs (one earned), three hits and one walk allowed during 1.2 innings of work while striking out one.
 
Game Two
WP led wire-to-wire during a closing 10-2, six-inning win.
 
Archibold singled to center, stole second and was tripled in by Wasilak, followed by a Griffith RBI-double down the left-field line for a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
 
An error, sac bunt and run-scoring base hit made it a 2-1 score after one inning.
 
Kim Fryer's leadoff home run to left field pushed the lead to 3-1 in the fourth.
 
A walk and fielder's choice left Pellios on first during the top of the fifth, followed by a Kim Fryer single and two-run double to left by senior pitcher Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South). Nicole Fryer singled in Podmajersky, and freshman Alex Lee (Newark, N.J./Benedictine Academy) added a pinch-hit RBI-single for a 7-1 score.
 
The Pioneers added three more runs in the sixth. Freshman pinch hitter Ryan Tighe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) led off with a base hit, and a lineout and error left her at second. Pellios singled to shortstop, Kim Fryer plated one with a base hit to right center, and Nicole Fryer later drove in two runs with a ground-rule double to left-center field.
 
A triple and RBI-single finished the scoring during the home half of the sixth.
 
Nicole Fryer went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run scored, and Kim Fryer was 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored.
 
Podmajersky (4-5) surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk, striking out seven over 6.0 innings. She also was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
 
Yusko was 2-for-2 with an RBI for Rutgers-Newark. Junior Morgan Walizer fell to 3-5 after giving up nine hits, six runs and a walk in 2.1 innings.
 
William Paterson will play two games at Montclair State Tuesday, April 11, starting at 3:00 p.m.
           
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