NAPLES, FLA. – The William Paterson softball team (7-1) returned back to action at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on March 15, posting two more victories. The Pioneers earned a 3-1 win against Wisconsin-Superior (7-4) and closed out the day with a 9-0 five-inning shutout over Alfred State (1-5).


GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wisconsin-Superior took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second and held on until the bottom half of the third inning. WP answered back when graduate student Anna Nunziato (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) singled to right field. Graduate student Carly McDaniel (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) drove a ball up the middle, sending Nunziato and senior Gabriella Brancaccio (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) to score. McDaniel took second base on the throw. Graduate student Jasmine Vera (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) singled through the right side, sending McDaniel home and extending the lead 3-1.
• Both teams held each other to no hits until the sixth inning and did not score the rest of the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Sophomore Jaelynn Miller (Oxford, N.J./Warren Hills) (3-0) earned the win, pitching seven innings with five strikeouts and allowing three hits.
• McDaniel went 1-3, posting two RBI and a run scored.
• Vera hit 2-3 with a RBI.

 
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• McDaniel's started WP off with a triple to right field and Vera sent her across home plate with a single to center. Vera stole second and advanced to third on a single to second base by sophomore Kylie Bythrow (Deptford, N.J./Deptford). Nunziato hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Vera, extending the score to 2-0.
• WP collected three more runs in the top of the second when Brancaccio and junior Haley Weinberger (Williamstown, N.J./Hammonton) both singled to get on base. Graduate student Jillian Bigos (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) doubled through the left side, scoring Brancaccio and Weinberger. Bigos advanced to third on a fly out to left field by McDaniel and scored on a passed ball, making it a 5-0 game.
• In the third, Nunziato singled to right and advanced to second. Freshman Hailey Backo (Wallington, N.J./Wallington) followed up with a single to right to score Nunziato. Weinberger drove one to the shortstop who produced a throwing error to move her to second. Brancaccio, who walked prior, and Backo scored off the single. McDaniel earned a RBI, singling to first base resulting in a fielding error to score Weinberger. WP held Alfred State the rest of the way to earn a 9-0 five-inning victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Junior Gianna Mulato (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) earned the win, pitching four innings with two hits and a strikeout.
• Weinberger went 2-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
• Bigos hit 1-3 with two RBIs and one run scored.
• Backo went 2-3 with a run scored and RBI.
• Brancaccio recorded two runs scored.

UP NEXT:

• William Paterson closes out the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic Thursday, March 16, with two games against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 11:00 a.m. and Western Connecticut State at 3:00 p.m. in Naples, Fla.

 
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