WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (17-9) defeated Wilkes (15-12) in walkoff fashion, 10-9 in 10 innings, April 12 at Jeff Albies Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Colonels struck first with a base hit, stolen base, sacrifice bunt and RBI-single, taking a 1-0 fourth-inning lead.
• The Pioneers responded with a nine-run fifth. Senior third baseman Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) doubled down the left-field line and scored when a Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) ground ball was thrown away. Senior right fielder Steve Yelin's (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) ground ball moved Weis to third, and he scored via a wild pitch. Senior designated hitter Dan Carter's (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) line drive over the center fielder's head went for a triple, and senior catcher Dylan Habeeb (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) singled him in for a 3-1 edge. After a flyout, sophomore second baseman Jake Lutz (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) dropped a base hit into left field and senior shortstop Chris Liriano (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) walked, loading the bases. A Justin Grippo (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) base on balls and a Lombardo hit by pitch forced in two runs, followed by a Weis three-run double to left-center field. Yelin's triple to right plated Weis and WP owned a 9-1 advantage.
• Wilkes used a triple and run-scoring groundout to make it a 9-2 game in the sixth.
• A triple and groundout added one to the Colonels' tally during the top of the seventh inning.
• Wilkes knotted the score at 9-9 in the eighth, stringing together five hits, an error, a hit by pitch, a fielder's choice and a WP error.
• Weis reached base on an error to start the bottom of the 10th, was sacrificed to second by freshman second baseman Tom Radigan (Verona, N.J./Verona) on a 0-2 count, and advanced to third on a Carter flyout. Habeeb then drilled a ball through the hole on the left side, a walkoff single to hand the Pioneers the win.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Habeeb was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Carter and Yelin both finished 2-for-5 as well. Weis drove in three runs.
• Freshman Nick Durso (Morris Plains, N.J./Parsippany Hills) tossed 6.0 innings as the starter, surrendering two runs, eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
• Freshman Pat Pantoliano (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) allowed a run and a hit during 1.0 inning of relief. Graduate student Jason Rivera (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) was charged with five runs (four earned) and three hits in 0.1 inning, and sophomore Pat Warburton (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) gave up two hits and one run during 0.2 inning of action.
• Senior Jordan Manne (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) went 2.0 scoreless innings, scattering two hits and registering three strikeouts (2-1).

 
UP NEXT:

• William Paterson returns to league action Thursday, April 14, at Rutgers-Newark at 3:30 p.m.

 
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