EWING, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (23-14, 9-9 NJAC) dropped a 12-2 decision at No. 9/9 The College of New Jersey (27-7, 14-4 NJAC) during both teams' regular-season finale April 29.
 
The sixth-seeded Pioneers will go to top-seeded TCNJ for the first round of the double-elimination New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament Tuesday, May 1, at 3:30 p.m.
 
The Lions used a single, triple and error to plate two runs during the home half of the first inning.
 
WP got one run back in the second with an error that put sophomore third baseman Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) aboard, a Vin Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) single through the right side, an Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) walk and a Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) run-scoring fielder's choice.
 
Four hits, an error and a walk allowed TCNJ to touch home five times in the second, and the Lions added two more in the third before single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
 
Freshman center fielder Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) singled to left field with one out in the eighth, used two wild pitches to get to third base, and scored when freshman right fielder Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) sent a sac fly to center.
 
Hoagland was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double, and Carter and Solodkin each contributed an RBI.
 
Freshman Christian Smith (Union Beach, N.J./Keyport) allowed nine runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk during 2.0 innings as the starter, striking out one (2-1). Classmate Jake Kavanagh (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park) surrendered six hits, three runs (one earned) and two walks with one strikeout over 4.0 innings, senior Bryan Kopko (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) tossed 1.0 inning of two-hit ball, and junior Shane Adams (Cape May, N.J./Cape May Tech) pitched 1.0 inning, giving up a hit and a walk.
 
Junior infielder Ryan Fischer finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored for the Lions. Junior reliever Andrew Rowan allowed one unearned run on three hits and a walk, striking out two during 4.0 innings of work (4-1).
 
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