MAHWAH, N.J. – William Paterson (21-11, 8-6 NJAC) crossed the plate three times in the seventh, but the Pioneers couldn't come up with the tying run as WP dropped a 6-5 baseball decision at Ramapo (24-11, 9-5 NJAC) April 23.
 
With four regular-season games remaining, WP is tied for fifth place in the league standings. The top six teams will qualify for the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament. 
 
The Pioneers pushed across one run during their first at-bat, using singles by freshman left fielder Francis Deane (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) and freshman right fielder Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield), a walk from sophomore third baseman Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) and a bases-loaded groundout by sophomore second baseman Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus).
 
The Roadrunners plated two runs during the home half of the first, thanks to three singles and an error.
 
WP leveled the score in the fourth. Freshman shortstop Greg Cuevas (West New York, N.J./St. Mary (Rutherford)) singled through the right side and senior catcher Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) sent a base hit to right center before junior first baseman Shane Adams (Cape May, N.J./Cape May Tech) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
Ramapo answered with a three-run fourth with two outs, using four base hits and a wild pitch for a 5-2 advantage.
 
A walk, steal and error, and run-scoring single made it a 6-2 game during the home half of the sixth.
 
Carter opened the top of the seventh with a base hit up the middle and Perez walked before a groundout and Vin Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) walk loaded the bases. Cuevas singled in Carter, and sophomore Eric Breun (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) delivered a pinch-hit sac fly, leaving runners on second and third with two outs. Dorio scored on an error, but Cuevas was caught in a rundown before he could score the tying run, ending the inning at 6-5.
 
WP had the tying run at second base with one out in the ninth, but two strikeouts ended the game.
 
Cuevas went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, while Carter finished 2-for-5 and scored a run.
 
Junior Doug Olcese (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) went 5.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk, striking out one (4-1). Sophomore Kyle Weiner (Wyckoff, N.J./Bergen Catholic) pitched 0.1 inning, walking two and giving up a hit, and junior Jeff Lombardi, Jr. tossed 2.0 innings and retired all five batters he faced.
 
Senior right fielder Matt Chemis drove in two runs as part of a 1-for-3 effort for Ramapo, scoring twice. Sophomore starter Kevin Stewart gave up two runs on four hits and six walks (5-0), and junior Kevin Foulds earned his eighth save with 0.2 inning of relief.
 
William Paterson will play at Farmingdale State Tuesday, April 24, at 3:30 p.m.
 
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