GRANVILLE, OHIO – Late-inning offense carried third-seeded William Paterson (31-14, 12-6 NJAC) into the NCAA Baseball Tournament Granville Regional's third round with a 15-8 elimination-game victory against fourth-seeded Penn State Harrisburg (30-17, 19-2 UEC) May 21 at Denison's Big Red Baseball Field.
The Pioneers will face the loser of today's contest between top-seeded and 13th-ranked Denison (34-9, 16-2 NCAC) and second-seeded and seventh-ranked Salisbury (31-8, 6-0 C2C). Due to inclement weather, the time of WP's next game is TBD.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers seized a 4-0 lead during the top of the first inning. Senior third baseman Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) drew a leadoff walk and senior right fielder Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J./Bergen Catholic) dropped a single into shallow right-center field. Senior left fielder Dan Carter's (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) double to right center scored one run before a rundown resulted in an out at the plate, senior catcher Dylan Habeeb (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) singled in Carter, and graduate student Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) homered to left center, making it a 4-0 game.
- The Lions knotted the score at 4-4 with four base hits, a double, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.
- Penn State Harrisburg was able to jump ahead by a 5-4 count in the fifth after a single and two errors.
- WP regained the lead during the top half of the seventh inning. Lombardo was issued a base on balls to lead off, and after a flyout, four consecutive base hits by Carter, Habeeb, Weis and senior designated hitter Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) made it a 7-5 score. Sophomore second baseman Jake Lutz (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) drew a full-count walk to load the bases with one out, senior center fielder Justin Grippo's (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) single to right plated Weis, and freshman shortstop Tom Radigan (Verona, N.J./Verona) drove home two more with a base hit to center field. Lombardo added an RBI-groundout, and the Pioneers owned an 11-5 advantage.
- A solo homer in the seventh cut the Lions' deficit to 11-6.
- William Paterson put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth frame. Habeeb reached on a one-out error and Weis was hit by a pitch before a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Yelin's sac fly scored one run, and a passed ball and wild pitch added another. Lutz doubled down the left-field line, Grippo sent an RBI-single through the left side and Radigan's double into the left-field corner resulted in a 15-6 edge.
- Penn State Harrisburg's hit by pitch, wild pitch and run-scoring base hit left it a 15-7 margin after eight innings.
- The Lions scored one final time in the ninth off a double and single.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Habeeb went 3-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored. Weis finished 3-for-5 while adding a home run, three RBI and three runs.
- Radigan was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, while Grippo went 3-for-5 and recorded two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
- Junior Ian Metzger (Verona, N.J./Verona) worked into the sixth, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk, striking out one during 5.1 innings.
- Junior Dan Castaneda (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) surrendered one run on one hit and a walk, posting one strikeout during his 1.0 inning of relief (4-2). Classmate Darmany Rivas (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) struck out two over 1.2 innings, allowing a run and a hit.
- Freshman Nick Durso (Morris Plains, N.J./Parsippany Hills) pitched the ninth and gave up one run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout.
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