EWING, N.J. – Sixth-seeded William Paterson (23-15, 9-9 NJAC) suffered a 9-0 loss at top-seeded and No. 9/8 The College of New Jersey (28-7, 14-4 NJAC) during the first round of the double-elimination New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Baseball Tournament May 1.
The Pioneers will face fifth-seeded Kean in an elimination game Friday, May 4, at 12:00 p.m. at Kean. WP students with ID will be admitted for free.
Two walks and a fielder's choice led to a passed ball that scored the first run of the game during the bottom of the second inning, and after a strikeout, an RBI-single to left made it a 2-0 Lion lead.
A pair of base hits and an error pushed it to 3-0 in the third, and a two-out single, steal, walk, stolen base and run-scoring base hit to center field made it 4-0 in the fourth.
TCNJ used a leadoff double, two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly to add two more runs during the home half of the fifth. The Lions added another run in the sixth via a double, steal and base hit through the left side.
A leadoff single, walk, wild pitch and two-run base hit to center finished the scoring in the eighth.
Freshman center fielder
Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) was 3-for-4 at the plate for the Pioneers, and sophomore third baseman
Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) went 2-for-4 with a double.
Junior
Chris Babb (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) tossed the first 4.0 innings, surrendering five runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out two (3-5). Classmates
Doug Olcese (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) and
Jack Benson (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) each allowed two hits and one run in 1.0 inning of work, while sophomore
Zac Polzer (North Haledon, N.J./Passaic County Tech) scattered two hits and a walk over 1.0 scoreless inning, striking out one. Junior Jeff Lombardi, Jr. pitched the final 1.0 inning and gave up two runs on a pair of hits and two walks while registering one strikeout.
Sophomore catcher David Cardona went 3-for-4 with three RBI for TCNJ. Senior Joe Cirillo pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits while striking out four (6-1).
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