WAYNE, N.J. – After falling behind 5-0 during the top of the first inning, the William Paterson baseball team (14-8, 1-2 NJAC) reeled off 27 unanswered runs to defeat The College of New Jersey (10-8, 2-1 NJAC), 28-7, April 8.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Lions scored five times with two outs during the top of the first inning, stringing together four singles and a pair of doubles.
- The Pioneers had some two-out magic of their own, touching the plate seven times during their first at-bat. Base hits by senior third baseman Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) and senior designated hitter Dylan Habeeb (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) set up an RBI-single by senior left fielder Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield). Sophomore second baseman Jake Lutz (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) walked to load the bases for senior right fielder Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J./Bergen Catholic), who sent all three runners home with a double to left-center field. Senior shortstop Chris Liriano (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) singled in Martin, and four consecutive walks issued to senior center fielder Justin Grippo (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah), Lombardo, graduate student first baseman Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) and senior catcher Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) forced across two runs, leaving WP with a 7-5 edge.
- William Paterson added three more in the second with a Carter leadoff double to right, a Lutz walk, a Martin run-scoring single to right center, a Liriano sacrifice fly and a Lombardo RBI-double to left-center field.
- WP pushed its advantage to 14-5 during the home half of the third. Yelin started the inning with a double and Habeeb singled him in. Carter's base hit left runners on the corners, Lutz plated a run with a double down the left-field line, Martin's ground ball scored Carter and Liriano lifted a sac fly to center.
- Carter's homer to left-center field plated Yelin and Habeeb, making it a 17-5 game after four frames.
- The Pioneers added 10 more to their total in the fifth inning, including grand slams by both Carter and Grippo as well as a two-run Weis double.
- A single, balk and base hit resulted in one TCNJ sixth-inning score.
- The Lions plated another run during the top half of the seventh thanks to three base hits.
- Sophomore catcher Jake Fallers (Wilmington, Del./Archmere Academy) drove home Liriano with a sac fly, making it a 28-7 edge after seven innings.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Carter finished 5-for-5 with eight RBI and five runs scored, hitting a double, three-run homer and grand slam.
- Martin was 4-for-5 while adding a pair of doubles, five RBI and four runs scored. Yelin went 3-for-4 and added a double, RBI and three runs scored.
- Senior Matt Lawler (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) improved to 2-0 with 6.0 innings of action, allowing six runs on 11 hits and one walk, striking out three.
- Graduate student Jason Rivera (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) twirled 2.0 innings, surrendering one run and five hits with one strikeout. Junior Tyler Searles (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) pitched the ninth and scattered two hits and a walk while striking out one batter.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson travels to No. 14 Kean for a doubleheader Saturday, April 9, at 11:30 a.m.
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