WAYNE, N.J. – No. 23 William Paterson (23-6, 14-4 NJAC) secured the second seed for the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Baseball Tournament with a Senior Day sweep of Stockton (9-13, 7-11 NJAC), 15-5 and 10-1, May 1.
After the second game the Pioneers honored their 12 seniors – outfielder
Frankie Deane (Dumont, N.J./Dumont), pitcher
Jack DeFouw (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood), pitcher
Francis Diaz (Union City, N.J./Union City), outfielder
Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont), shortstop
Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus), catcher
Dylan Habeeb (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills), pitcher/utility
Armando Ovalles (Union City, N.J./Union City), pitcher
Jason Palmeri (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock), pitcher
Zac Polzer (North Haledon, N.J./Passaic County Tech), pitcher
Jason Rivera (Clifton, N.J./Clifton), pitcher
Kyle Weiner (Wyckoff, N.J./Bergen Catholic) and first baseman
Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional).
Seventh-seeded Rutgers-Camden and 10th-seeded Rutgers-Newark will play an NJAC Tournament first-round single-elimination game Tuesday, May 4. The winner will advance to play a best-of-three NJAC Tournament quarterfinal series at second-seeded WP. The Pioneers will host a doubleheader Friday, May 7, at 12:00 p.m., and if necessary, a single game Saturday, May 8, at 2:00 p.m. to determine who advances to the semifinal round.
GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- A walk and double gave the Ospreys a 1-0 first-inning advantage.
- WP leveled the score during its first at-bat, thanks to a one-out single by Ferrara and a double down the left-field line by Habeeb.
- Stockton regained the lead in the second, stringing together a single, double and RBI-groundout for a 2-1 edge.
- A two-out rally netted the Pioneers a pair of second-inning runs. Back-to-back singles by junior third baseman Chris Liriano (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) and Deane and a balk led to a two-RBI DiGirolamo double down the right-field line and a 3-2 lead.
- Junior second baseman Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) opened the bottom half of the fourth with a base hit up the middle, stole second, moved to third on a Liriano flyout and later scored via DiGirolamo's single to center.
- William Paterson made it a 6-2 game in the fifth inning. Yelin's one-out infield single was followed by a base hit to right off the bat of junior designated hitter Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield). Weis singled in Yelin, and after a Lombardo walk loaded the bags, Liriano lifted a sac fly to right field.
- Ferrara walked and trotted home when Habeeb homered to right center, followed by a Carter walk and Weis RBI-triple down the left-field line, pushing it to a 9-3 margin after six frames.
- Liriano was issued a base on balls to start the home half of the seventh, and he was promptly sent home when Deane doubled into the left-field corner. Ferrara's fly ball to left got over the fielder's head in the swirling winds, and he raced around the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park home run and a 12-3 edge.
- Sophomore pinch hitter David Backo (Wallington, N.J./Wallington) drew a one-out walk during the bottom of the eighth inning, and freshman Brett Coyle (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) followed with a pinch-hit single into left field. A passed ball advanced the runners one base, setting up a DiGirolamo sac fly. Ferrara singled in Coyle and reached third base on an error on the play, and he later scrambled home after a wild pitch, making it a 15-3 game.
- Stockton finished the scoring with a pair of ninth-inning runs, using two base hits, a double and an error.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ferrara was 3-for-5 with an inside-the-park homer, three RBI and four runs scored. Habeeb finished 3-for-6 while adding a double, homer and three RBI.
- DiGirolamo went 2-for-5 while hitting a double and driving in four runners. Yelin added a 3-for-6, one-run effort.
- Junior Jordan Manne (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) tossed the first 6.0 innings and scattered three runs, five hits and three walks while registering three strikeouts (3-2).
- Junior Matt Lawler (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) earned a three-inning save, his first of the season, while allowing two runs, five hits and a walk with a pair of punchouts.
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Habeeb drew a two-out walk, Yelin singled to left and Stockton committed an error to make it a 1-0 WP edge after one inning.
- The Ospreys evened the score at 1-1 during the top half of the second thanks to a single and error, wild pitch and groundout.
- The Pioneers answered with a pair of scores during the home half of the same inning. Liriano walked and Deane doubled him in, followed two batters later by a Ferrara RBI-single into right field.
- William Paterson made it a 4-1 game in the fourth with a Lombardo leadoff double to left, a flyout and a DiGirolamo swinging strikeout in the dirt that was thrown away to first base.
- A three-run fifth inning pushed the Pioneers' advantage to 7-1. After a leadoff Habeeb double, Yelin walk, wild pitch and groundout, an error on a fielder's choice plated Habeeb, and Lombardo singled in two runners.
- Ferrara opened the bottom half of the sixth with a base hit up the middle, and an error and Yelin fielder's choice made it an 8-1 score.
- Ferrara ignited a two-run eighth with a leadoff base hit, an advancement to second on a failed pickoff attempt and a move to third on a wild pitch. Yelin singled him in, and after Carter's base hit put runners on the corners. Weis made it a 10-1 game with a fielder's choice groundout.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ferrara posted three hits, and RBI and two runs scored. Yelin went 2-for-4 while driving in two runs and scoring twice himself, and Lombardo finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
- DeFouw struck out seven during his 6.2 innings of action, scattering seven hits, one unearned run and one walk (5-1).
- Junior Tyler Searles (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) retired the only batter he faced. Classmate Riley Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) pitched 1.0 inning, giving up one hit and a walk with two strikeouts. Carter struck out two of the three batters during the ninth inning.
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