KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The William Paterson baseball team (4-1) allowed two final-inning runs to drop the opener to Washington and Jefferson (3-1), 8-7, but salvaged a split with a 5-3 game-two win March 10 during a seven-inning doubleheader at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One

• The Presidents raced out to a 6-0 advantage by the middle of the second inning before WP crossed the plate four times during the home half of the third, using a Greg Cuevas (West New York, N.J./St. Mary (Rutherford)) single, Dan Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) triple, Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) and Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) base hits, Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) double and Vin Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) RBI-groundout.
• The Pioneers touched home three times for a 7-6 lead after five. Ferrara doubled to right center, sophomore right fielder Danny Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) had a two-out RBI-single, Dorio singled to center field, junior left fielder Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) reached on an error and sophomore first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) delivered a two-run base hit up the middle.
• Washington and Jefferson used a single, walk, sacrifice and error, and two more errors to seize an 8-7 edge during the top of the seventh.
• William Paterson had the tying run on third with two outs during the home half of the seventh, but a strikeout ended the comeback bid.

Game Two

• A Weis single and two hit by pitches loaded the bases for Abate, who drilled a ground ball through the right side for a 2-0 Pioneer advantage during the top of the second inning.
• Both teams crossed the plate once during the fifth frame. Yelin tripled to right field with two outs and Carter followed with a run-scoring single through the right side, while the Presidents got on the board with a base hit and single.
• Wash & Jeff made it a 3-2 game in the sixth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
• WP manufactured a pair of two-out runs in the seventh, taking advantage of a balk and two-run Weis base hit to right field.
• A bases loaded walk pushed across one President run with two outs during the home half of the seventh, but freshman Jake Klag (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) registered a final strikeout for his first save.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Game One

• Ferrara went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Weis finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
• Senior Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) suffered his first loss (1-1), giving up one unearned run while striking out two and walking one during 1.0 inning on the hill.

Game Two

• Weis had two hits, a run scored and a pair of RBI, while Yelin was 2-for-4 with a triple and run scored.
• Senior starter Corey Martinez (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) struck out a career-high 11, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks during 6.0 innings of work (1-0).

 
UP NEXT:

• William Paterson will play a seven-inning doubleheader against Pitt-Greensburg Tuesday, March 12, at 2:00 p.m.

 
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