WAYNE, N.J. – No. 20 William Paterson (27-6, 14-4 NJAC) punched its ticket to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Baseball Tournament finals with a 4-2, 11-6 semifinal best-of-three sweep of sixth-seeded The College of New Jersey (11-17, 8-10 NJAC) May 14.
WP will play in the finals best-of-three series next weekend at top-seeded and ninth-ranked Rowan. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday, May 21, at 12:00 p.m., and if necessary, a single game Saturday, May 22, at 2:00 p.m. to determine who receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Junior designated hitter Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) launched a pitch over the center-field fence, his fifth homer of the season, for a 1-0 Pioneer advantage during the home half of the second inning.
- Two walks and a fielder's choice left junior right fielder Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) on first and senior catcher Dylan Habeeb (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) on second with two outs in the third. Carter flared a popup into shallow right between three fielders, and it bounced off the glove of the charging second baseman for a two-run double and a 3-0 lead.
- A hit by pitch, single, run-scoring wild pitch, strikeout/wild pitch and sac fly resulted in a pair of Lion runs during the top half of the sixth inning.
- WP added one run to its tally during the home half of the sixth. Senior first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) singled up the middle to open the frame, advanced to second on a passed ball and trotted home when junior second baseman Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) doubled to right-center field, making it a 4-2 game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Carter finished 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBI. Lombardo was 1-for-1, hitting an RBI-double and walking three times.
- Sophomore Darmany Rivas (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) went 8.0 innings, scattering two runs, a pair of hits and a walk while collecting seven strikeouts (8-0).
- Junior Matt Lawler (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) faced one batter in the ninth. Classmate Riley Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) recorded the game's final three outs for his second save of the year, allowing one hit.
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The visiting team for the second game, William Paterson struck immediately with a one-out double down the left-field line by senior Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and an RBI-single to right field by Habeeb, making it a 1-0 score in the first.
- TCNJ answered with a base hit, wild pitch and run-scoring single for a 1-1 game after one inning.
- Senior left fielder Frankie Deane (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) sent a two-out pitch to center field in the top of the second and senior center fielder Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) followed with an RBI-triple to right center. After a Ferrara walk, Habeeb singled through the left side for a 3-1 edge.
- A two-run triple to right and RBI-groundout pushed The College of New Jersey ahead, 4-3, during the home half of the second inning.
- Deane opened the fourth inning with a base hit down the right-field line, and DiGirolamo delivered him home with a double to the gap in right center. A flyout advanced DiGirolamo to third, and a two-out Yelin infield popup was lost in the sun, allowing the go-ahead run to score, 5-4.
- The Pioneers broke the game open with a three-run sixth. Ferrara drew a leadoff walk and promptly raced home when Habeeb tucked a double inside the bag at third and into the left-field corner. Yelin then bombed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left, his fifth round-tripper of the season.
- TCNJ got one run back during its next at-bat with a double and run-scoring single. The Lions had the bases loaded with one out, but sophomore Ian Metzger (Verona, N.J./Verona) entered and used a strikeout and a ground ball to get out of the jam.
- WP cushioned its advantage with three more scores in the top half of the seventh inning. Back-to-back infield singles by Deane and DiGirolamo, a wild pitch and a Habeeb walk loaded the bags for Yelin, whose base hit through the right side plated two. Carter then lifted a sac fly to right center, plating Habeeb and making it an 11-5 score.
- The Lions turned a walk, error and single into a single seventh-inning run.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Yelin went 3-for-6 while posting a home run and five RBI, and Habeeb finished 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.
- DiGirolamo was 3-for-6, adding a double, triple, two RBI and three runs, while Deane had a 3-for-4 effort, touching the plate three times.
- Senior Jack DeFouw (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) tossed 5.0 innings of four-run, four-hit ball, striking out four and walking one (7-1).
- Junior Jordan Manne (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) surrendered three hits and a run during 0.1 inning of action. Metzger went 1.2 innings and gave up a run, hit and walk with one strikeout.
- Senior Zac Polzer (North Haledon, N.J./Passaic County Tech) had a walk and a strikeout during his 1.0 inning of work, and Carter struck out one of the three batters he faced in the ninth.
- With his second-inning triple, DiGirolamo moved into a tie for second place on the WP career list with Rick Pignatello (15, 2004-07).
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