PURCHASE, N.Y. – The William Paterson baseball team (11-6) never trailed during a 9-8 victory March 22 at Manhattanville (5-6).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Pioneers broke the scoreless deadlock with a single run during the top of the second inning. Senior right fielder Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J./Bergen Catholic) reached on a leadoff error and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Patrick Ryan (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls). Ryan stole second and advanced to third on a flyout, then trotted home three batters later when senior third baseman Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) singled.
• Junior left fielder Elliott Hayward (Marlton, N.J./Old Bridge) opened the fourth frame with a solo homer, followed by a hit by pitch for senior shortstop Chris Liriano (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) and a Justin Grippo (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) double and error, making it a 3-0 score. Another error moved Grippo to third, and sophomore second baseman Jake Lutz (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) lifted a sacrifice fly to left to push WP ahead by a 4-0 count.
• The Valiants used a walk, two errors, a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly to cross the plate twice during the home half of the fourth.
• Manhattanville strung together a double, single, sac bunt and sac fly to make it a 4-3 game after six innings.
• William Paterson gave itself some breathing room with a three-run seventh. Senior designated hitter Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) was issued a leadoff walk and Ryan reached on an error before back-to-back run-scoring singles from Hayward and Liriano. Lombardo added a sacrifice fly, and the Pioneers owned a 7-3 advantage.
• Two errors, three singles, a sac bunt and sac fly led to three Manhattanville runs and a 7-6 score following the home half of the seventh inning.
• The Pioneers answered during their next at-bat. Senior catcher Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) opened the frame with a double and Carter followed with an RBI-single, creating an 8-6 edge.
• Grippo started the top half of the ninth with a walk, used a wild pitch and passed ball to get to third, then touched home when freshman second baseman Tom Radigan (Verona, N.J./Verona) singled, making it a 9-6 WP lead.
• A two-run single put the potential go-ahead run at the plate for Manhattanville with two out during the bottom of the ninth inning, but a final strikeout secured the win for William Paterson.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Yelin finished 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored, while Lombardo drove in two runs.
• Carter, Hayward and graduate student first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) each contributed a pair of hits.
• Senior Matt Lawler (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) worked 6.0 innings, allowing four runs (one earned), six hits and one walk (1-0).
• Junior Dan Castaneda (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) pitched 2.0 innings of four-hit ball, allowing two runs (one earned) while posting one strikeout. Carter allowed two runs, a walk and a hit while striking out two hitters in the ninth for his fourth save of the year.

 
UP NEXT:

• William Paterson travels to Keystone Thursday, March 24, at 3:30 p.m.

 
FOLLOW THE PIONEERS:

• http://www.wpupioneers.com/socialmedia