WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The William Paterson baseball team improved to 6-1 this season with a 22-4, 7-6 seven-inning doubleheader sweep of Pitt-Greensburg (1-8) March 12 at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One

• Sophomore right fielder Danny Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) tripled in sophomore catcher Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional), and sophomore first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) singled in Carter, for a 2-0 edge during the home half of the first inning.
• After the Bobcats tied the score during their next at-bat, WP answered with four second-inning scores, including RBI-singles from junior left fielder Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne), junior second baseman Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and Yelin.
• Senior designated hitter Shane Adams (Cape May, N.J./Cape May Tech) and junior third baseman Dan Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) made it an 8-2 game in the fourth with run-scoring base hits.
• Pitt-Greensburg got two runs back during the top of the fifth frame, but Carter and Weis delivered RBI-singles to push the margin to 10-4 after five.
• The Pioneers blew the game wide open by crossing the plate 12 times during the home half of the sixth. Sophomore catcher Steve Zukofsky (North Haledon, N.J./Passaic County Tech), Carter and Ferrara led the way with two-run base hits.

Game Two

• Pitt-Greensburg struck first with a single run during the bottom of the first inning, but WP touched home three times in the third with a Perez RBI-double to left center, a Mike Grasso (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) sacrifice fly and a Greg Cuevas (West New York, N.J./St. Mary (Rutherford)) run-scoring groundout.
• The Bobcats made it 3-2 game in the fourth before the Pioneers used a Christopher Liriano (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) two-run double and a Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) RBI-single to stretch their lead to 6-2 in the sixth.
• Pitt-Greensburg knotted the score at 6-6 during the home half of the same frame, taking advantage of five singles, a sacrifice bunt, walk and sac fly.
• William Paterson scored the game-winning run with a one-out error, two hit by pitches and a Grasso base hit to left field. Senior Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) struck out two of the four batters he faced in the seventh to preserve the win.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Game One

• Carter finished 4-for-5 with a triple, five RBI and two runs scored, while Ferrara went 4-for-5 while tallying three RBI and four runs scored. Weis was 4-for-4 while driving in two runs and scoring once.
• Freshman Matt Lawler (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) picked up his first victory (1-0), scattering four runs (two earned) and seven hits over 5.0 innings as the starter, striking out two and walking two. Sophomores Jordan Manne (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) and Jake Kavanagh (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park) combined for 2.0 innings of shutout relief.

Game Two

• Grasso had two hits, a sac fly, a run scored and a pair of RBI, while Liriano was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
• Rosenberg (2-1) pitched the final 1.2 innings, striking out two while giving up one hit.

 
UP NEXT:

• William Paterson will take on Salve Regina Wednesday, March 13, at 10:15 a.m.

 
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