WAYNE, N.J. – Junior center fielder
Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) went 5-for-5 at the plate, including three extra-base hits, and senior shortstop
Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) delivered the winning run with a ninth-inning single as the William Paterson baseball team (7-1) capped off a seven-game homestand with 7-6 triumph against St. Joseph's-Long Island (1-2) March 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers crossed the plate twice during their first at-bat. DiGirolamo doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third via a passed ball, while junior first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) drew a walk. Junior right fielder Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) sent both runners home with his ground ball that tucked just inside the third-base bag and carried down into the left-field corner, a two-run double for a 2-0 edge.
- The Golden Eagles hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning, but WP got two more runs in the home half of the same frame. Junior catcher Dylan Habeeb (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) drilled a double to center field and DiGirolamo followed with his second career homer, clearing the fence in right center for a 4-1 lead.
- A double and a single added one run to the St. Joseph's-Long Island total during the top of the fourth.
- SJLI took its first lead of the game with four seventh-inning unearned runs, taking advantage of four hits, a sacrifice fly and two errors.
- WP leveled the score during its next opportunity. Junior designated hitter Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) started the bottom of the seventh with a ground-rule double and Carter's single to center sent him home. An Adrian Alarcon (Belleville, N.J./Belleville) base hit into right field and senior pinch hitter Vin Dorio's (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) bunt single loaded the bags for Ferrara, who drove in the tying run with a single to left.
- Alarcon opened the bottom of the ninth with a base hit into center field, but he was out at second after an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt by junior third baseman Greg Cuevas (West New York, N.J./St. Mary (Rutherford)). However, Cuevas advanced to third when the pitcher's pickoff attempt short hopped and rolled away into foul territory, putting the winning run 90 feet away. After a groundout, Ferrara delivered the clutch hit again, this one a walk-off single that tipped off the end of the second baseman's glove and into right field.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- DiGirolamo finished 5-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, a pair of RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Alarcon was 3-for-4 while scoring a run, Carter posted two hits and three RBI, and Ferrara went 2-for-5 while plating two runners.
- Sophomore Matt Lawler (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) went 5.0 innings as the starter, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out one. Freshman Elian Mendez (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) was charged with four unearned runs, five hits and two walks, posting one strikeout during his 1.2 innings. Senior Jack DeFouw (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) earned the win in relief with 2.1 scoreless and hitless innings of work, striking out two and walking one (1-0).
- The Pioneers received votes in this week's D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25 Poll.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson heads to Long Island to play at Farmingdale State Wednesday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m.
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