UNION, N.J.  – Freshman righty Sarah Byrnes (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) pitched her ninth complete game of the season in a 5-4 triumph in game one, and William Paterson unloaded for a pivotal seven-run second inning in a 10-6 game two victory as softball (19-7, 6-2 NJAC) swept a big doubleheader at No. 18 Kean (20-6, 5-3 NJAC) Saturday, April 14.
 
Game One | WP 5, No. 18 Kean 4
 
Byrnes (13-4) hurled her third win in as many appearances, junior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional) belted a two-run homer as part of a 2-for-4 day and softball won its third one-run game in a row with a 5-4 victory at No. 18 Kean.
 
A familiar ending for WP unfurled itself in the seventh as Byrnes coaxed a game-ending lineout with the tying run on first base, the third consecutive game in which Byrnes has retired the final batter with either the tying or go-ahead run on base.
 
Neither team got on the scoreboard until WP opened up a 3-0 run lead in the top of the third. Sophomore right fielder Ryan Tighe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) wrapped a leadoff double inside the left field line and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Alexis Davis (Delanco, N.J./Riverside). Senior center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) took a 2-1 pitch into right for an RBI single, and with two outs, Griffith jolted a two-run homer to center.
 
WP's lead quickly shrunk to 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Rookie center fielder Maria Bonfanti singled to second before a sacrifice bunt and a bunt single moved her to third and placed junior left fielder Olivia Zengel on first. Zengel stole second and junior designated player Erin Holyfield took an 0-2 delivery for a double to right center, plating Bonfanti and Zengel.
 
Byrnes quelled a mini rally in the fifth before the Pioneer offense gave her some breathing room with a two-run sixth. Senior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) pulled a one-out single through the right side and later moved up to third when senior second baseman Adelle Hickman (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty) singled to right field and advanced to second on a fielding error in the outfield. Rookie first baseman Caitlyn Massaro (Madison, N.J./Madison) clubbed an RBI single to center, moving Hickman up 60 feet in the process. Sophomore pinch runner Vanessa Archibold (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) entered for Massaro and used her speed to steal second, warranting an errant throw on the steal to allow her to reach third, scoring Hickman.
 
Kean didn't go down easy in the seventh. Singles from Bonfanti and freshman second baseman Julie Raba, combined with a wild pitch and a steal placed runners at second and third with nobody out. Byrnes got a key strikeout and a pop out to put two away, although Kean cut their deficit to 5-4 when an error by Hickman on a Hollyfield batted ball. Hickman got another chance and made the play on a lineout, ending the game.
 
Lutas got on base three times, doubling off the top of the wall, singling, getting hit by a pitch, all the while stealing a bag, scoring and driving in a run. Lutas' on-base percentage bumped to a staggering .505 following game one. Tighe also went 2-for-3 with a double.
 
Kean generated nine hits, but only one extra-base knock. Bonfanti scored twice and singled twice and Zengel went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base.
 
Byrnes proved to be a workhorse yet again, spinning 107 pitches in 7.0 innings. The freshman worked around nine hits while fanning five to pick up her 13th victory.
 
In the circle and pitching a complete game in the loss was junior Jacqueline Riley (7-3). Riley permitted five runs, three earned, on eight hits and a pair of free passes while punching out four.
 
Game Two | WP 10, No. 18 Kean 6
 
Kean scored first but didn't hold the lead for long as a seven-run outburst in the second inning propelled WP to a 10-6 victory in game two.
 
With Archibold on second base and sophomore designated player Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Conception) on first, Davis roped an RBI double to left, plating Archibold and trying the game at 1-1 in the second. Lutas legged out an infield single to shortstop, pushing Lupica across and Davis to third. Lutas got in scoring position by stealing second and scored behind Davis on a two-RBI single to right off Tighe's bat. Kean began to unravel in the rest of the inning, allowing Griffith to reach on an error before giving free passes to Molnar and Hickman. Massaro popped out, but a batted ball from Lupica was misplayed by freshman hurler Amanda Ross, scoring Griffith and Molnar.
 
Davis didn't have an extra-base hit yet this season but roped her second such hit with a two-bagger inside the left field line with one out in the third. Griffith ripped a double of her own to center, scoring Davis for the 8-1 lead in WP's half of the third inning.
 
The Pioneers kept plugging away offensively with another run in the fourth. Hickman led off the inning with a single up the middle before junior pinch runner Xiomara Taylor (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) replaced her on the bases. Massaro bunted Taylor to second and an infield single from Lupica set runners at the corners. Lutas made it 9-1 on an RBI single to back up the box, scoring Taylor.
 
Tighe followed up Lutas' RBI single up the middle with one of her own in the top of the sixth, scoring sophomore pinch runner Lexi Reale (Smithtown, N.Y./St. Anthony's) who was running for Lupica following a leadoff walk.
 
WP got all they needed offensively in the second inning, but the consistent attack gave the Pioneers some breathing room during Kean's four-run sixth inning. Zengel singled and junior shortstop Cayleen Rizo doubled to open the bottom of the sixth. Freshman starter Alexis Davidson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) got Hollyfield to foul out, although Riley roped an RBI single up the middle, ushering WP to give the ball to Byrnes in relief. Back-to-back singles made it 10-6 William Paterson before Byrnes settled in and worked a ground out and a line out to end the threat. Byrnes made quick work of the Cougars in the seventh, needing just seven pitches to retire Kean in order.
 
Kean also scored once in the first and once in the fourth courtesy of an RBI single and a solo home run from Hollyfield.
 
WP's one-through-five batters went a combined 9-for-22, with Lutas, Tighe, Griffith and Hickman all generating two hits. Tighe drove in three runners while Lutas scored once and knocked in a pair. Davis bookended WP's order by going a season best 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, two runs and an RBI.
 
Hollyfield went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI, while senior catcher Kacie Worswick drove in two on an RBI single.
 
Davidson (4-1) gave the Pioneers what they needed out of their starter, working around seven hits and one walk while fanning two in 5.1 frames of action. The freshman allowed five runs, all earned, in her fourth victory. Byrnes tidied things up in 1.2 innings of relief, allowing one earned on two hits in her fourth appearance in four days.
 
Junior Kaitlin Stahlbrand (8-3) was bounced after just 1.1 innings, surrendering seven runs, four earned, on five hits and two walks. Ross pitched well in relief, spinning 5.2 innings of three-run ball.
 
Softball's twin bill originally scheduled for Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m. against The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. has been postponed due to expected inclement weather. A makeup date is to be determined at a later time. Next up on the schedule is a doubleheader at Ramapo Tuesday, April 17, at 3:00 p.m.
 
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