SCRANTON, PA. – The William Paterson softball team (11-1) swept a doubleheader against Scranton (5-7) on the road on Tuesday, March 21. The Pioneers topped the Royals 3-2 and 7-1 to extend their win streak to 10.


GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Scranton struck first in the bottom of the third to grab a 2-0 advantage. The Pioneers tied the score in the top of the fifth when graduate student Jillian Bigos (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) singled up the middle to score junior Gianna Mulato (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) and senior Gabriella Brancaccio (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick).
• WP took the lead in the top of the sixth when graduate student Anna Nunziato (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) took a base, hit by a pitch. Nunziato took second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a hit by graduate student Caitlin Monahan (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler). Mulato secured a RBI, sending Nunziato home to take a 3-2 lead. The Pioneers held the lead the rest of the way.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Sophomore Jaelynn Miller (Oxford, N.J./Warren Hills) (5-0) earned the win, pitching seven innings. Miller allowed four hits and posted seven strikeouts.
• Bigos recorded two RBI and Mulato went 1-2 with a RBI and a run scored.

 
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Pioneers took a 1-0 advantage as Bigos sent one flying out to left field for a homerun at the first bat of the game.
• Bigos sent a triple to right field to start the third inning. Graduate student Carly McDaniel (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bigos to extend the lead 2-0. Freshman Lilah Guthy (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) shut-out the Royals in the third.
• Bigos sent another triple to right center and McDaniel doubled to left field to take a 3-0 advantage in the fifth inning.
• Scranton got on the board with a single and triple to cut the deficit to two runs. WP answered back with two more runs when junior Haley Weinberger (Williamstown, N.J./Hammonton) doubled to left center, securing two RBI.
• In the seventh inning, McDaniel reached first on a throwing error and stole second. McDaniel advanced to third on a wild pitch and graduate student Jasmine Vera (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) walked. Sophomore Kylie Bythrow (Deptford, N.J./Deptford) sent one to right center for a single, sending McDaniel and Vera across home plate. Bythrow's two RBI secured a 7-1 lead heading into the bottom half of the seventh. WP held Scranton to extend their win streak to 10.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Freshman Lilah Guthy (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) (4-0) earned the win, pitching seven innings. Guthy allowed four hits, one run and posted one strikeout.
• Bigos went 3-4 with a homerun, two triples, a RBI and three runs scored.
• McDaniel and Weinberger recorded a double and two RBI a piece.
• Bythrow went 2-4 with two RBI and Nunziato finished 3-4 with a double.

UP NEXT:

• The Pioneers return to action on Saturday, March 25 for their home opening series versus St. Joseph's University Brooklyn at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

 
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