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WAYNE, N.J.  – William Paterson softball had turned in a strong 4-2 record against ranked opposition this season, but the No. 25 Pioneers (19-11, NJAC 6-6) could not get past No. 21 Rowan (25-6-1, NJAC 9-3), falling 2-1 and 9-1 in a home twin bill April 21.
 
Game One | Rowan 2, WP 1
 
WP gave Rowan everything they could handle in the game one loss, forcing the Profs to resort to ace-right hander, sophomore Jesse DeDomenico, to close game one. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, senior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) led off with a single to center field before stealing second. But, WP couldn't capitalize as DeDomenico set down the next three batters in order.
 
Despite taking the loss, sophomore right hander Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Conception) spun a quality start and did a stellar job navigating 10 hits, holding the New Jersey Athletic Conference leaders in on-base percentage to just two runs. Those two runs came on a two-RBI double to right center off the bat of sophomore first baseman Mackenzie Short, breaking a 0-0 stalemate in the fourth inning.
 
A two-out rally initiated by a walk from Molnar helped cut the Pioneer deficit in half. After the free pass, second baseman Adelle Hickman (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty) singled up the middle, extending her hitting streak to 14 games. Freshman first baseman and left handed hitter Caitlyn Massaro (Madison, N.J./Madison) went the other way on an outside pitch, plating Molnar. Lupica walked, ushering Rowan's sophomore hurler from the circle, but a strikeout ended the Pioneer threat as Rowan would ride out their 2-1 lead the rest of the way.
 
Patient Pioneer bats put together seven walks, but stranded runners were costly as WP left 12 on base. Molnar led by reaching three times, stealing a base and scoring. Junior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional) and sophomore designated player Vanessa Archibold (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) singled and Lupica walked a pair of times. Hickman's 14-game hitting streak is the second longest such streak this season after senior center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) notched a 16-game streak earlier in the year.
 
Junior center fielder Kristina Mueller had a game-high three hits, all of which were singles. Junior third baseman Cassandra Gerard laced a pair of singles as well, going 2-for-4.
 
Lupica used 100 pitches to spin her second career complete game, allowing only two earned runs on 10 hits and four free passes.
 
Sophomore hurler Lauren Shannon (10-1) lasted 4.2 innings, fanning three while dancing around a precarious seven walks and four hits to allow just one earned run. DeDomenico secured the first save by any Rowan pitcher this season, striking out six while only surrendering a single and a hit by pitch.
 
Game Two | Rowan 9, WP 1 (5 inn.)
 
The NCAA Division III East Region top-ranked Rowan Profs were just clicking offensively in game two, generating 13 hits and grinding out six walks to plate at least one each inning as game two ended in five frames.
 
Gerard quickly put Rowan up 1-0 with an RBI double to left center in the top of the first, driving in DeDomenico. Two-RBI singles in the second and third innings respectively allowed the Profs to create a 5-0 advantage and push freshman starter Alexis Davidson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) from the circle. Lupica went the rest of the way, allowing three earned on two hits and four walks in 1.2 innings of relief.
 
WP scored its only run in the bottom of the fourth, making it 6-1. Lutas started the frame with a sharply hit grounder up the middle and later advanced to second on a muffed throw by Rowan's first baseman following a Griffith ground ball to shortstop. Lutas moved to third on a fielder's choice and scampered across home on a dropped-third strike wild pitch.
 
Lutas had WP's only hit and run, finishing the day in possession of a team best .389 batting average.
 
Rowan had five players with multi-hit affairs, led by DeDomenico's 3-for-4 outing that included two runs and an RBI. She was equally as effective in the circle, improving to 13-3 on the season after fanning nine in a five-inning complete game.
 
Davidson (4-3) lasted 3.1 frames, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and four walks.
 
WP finishes a full weekend with a doubleheader at Ramapo Sunday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m.
 
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