NEWARK, N.J. – Sophomore catcher
Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) tied the NCAA single-game record with four home runs, but William Paterson's (20-11, 6-6 NJAC) comeback effort fell just short at Rutgers-Newark (10-15, 4-8 NJAC), 12-11, in baseball action April 19.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Yelin handed WP a 2-0 first-inning edge when he launched a home run to left field.
- The Scarlet Raiders touched home four times in the third thanks to a grand slam, then added two more in the fourth with a pair of solo homers.
- The Pioneers got one back during the top of the fifth frame when junior designated hitter Dan Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) led off with a solo home run over the fence in left-center field, but a Rutgers-Newark RBI-triple and a balk made it an 8-3 margin after five.
- Yelin's second home run of the day cut it to 8-4 in the sixth, and another Rutgers-Newark solo shot made it a 9-4 game during the home half of the seventh.
- Sophomore second baseman Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and Yelin went deep in the eighth (9-6) before three hits helped the Scarlet Raiders push across three runs during the bottom half of the same inning.
- An error and Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) double put two on with two outs in the ninth, and Ferrara cleared the bases with a home run to left. Sophomore first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) followed with a single and Yelin went yard, clearing the left-center fence for a 12-11 score, but a final flyout ended the Pioneers' rally.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- All four of Yelin's hits were home runs as he finished with six RBI and four runs scored. Ferrara was 2-for-5 with two homers, four RBI and two runs scored, and DiGirolamo went 3-for-5 while tallying two doubles and a pair of runs scored.
- Sophomore Jordan Manne (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) allowed eight runs on six hits and a walk, striking out one over 4.2 innings (3-2).
- Yelin matched the Division III single-game record previously recorded 16 times, the last time by U.S. Merchant Marine's David May against St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (4/29/09).
- The 11 total home runs hit during the game tied for the seventh-highest total in Division III history.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson welcomes No. 7/3 The College of New Jersey for two games Saturday, April 20, at 12:30 p.m.
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