CAMDEN, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (20-13, 8-6 NJAC) dropped the first game of a road New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader before earning the series split with a win in game two against Rutgers-Camden (21-14, 7-7 NJAC) April 22.

The Scarlet Raptors took game one, 16-4, but the Pioneers offense erupted for a 21-13 bounce-back victory in game two.
 
GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Graduate student Colin Lombardo (Edison, N.J./Edison) led off the game with a base on balls before classmate Carson Weis (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) came up and blasted a two-run home run to right to put the Pioneers ahead, 2-0. Graduate student Steve Yelin (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) then reached safely on a Rutgers-Camden error and it proved to be a costly mistake as he later came in to score on an RBI double by graduate student Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont).
• The Pioneers' three-run lead did not hold for long as the Scarlet Raptors evened the score with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the second.
• It remained a tie game until Rutgers-Camden plated five runs on five hits in the fifth inning while taking advantage of a pair of William Paterson errors in the field to grab an 8-3 advantage.
• The Scarlet Raptors tacked on four additional runs in the sixth.
• In the top of the seventh, junior Jake Lutz (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) and Lombardo logged back-to-back base hits before Weis drove in Lutz on an RBI single to trim the deficit to eight (12-4).
• Rutgers-Camden put three runs across in the seventh and one more in the eighth before securing the 16-4 home win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Weis batted 4-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored.
• DiGirolamo recorded a two-hit outing with a double and an RBI.
• Lombardo logged a pair of hits and a run scored.

 
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead in the second game after Weis hit a two-out single and scored on a two-run home run by graduate student Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) in the first inning.
• Rutgers-Camden pulled within one (2-1) after plating a run in the bottom half of the first.
• William Paterson continued to apply the pressure offensively and plated three runs in the second. Junior Noah Cabassa (Pomona, N.Y./North Rockland) singled to lead off the inning and freshman Dylan Santos (Nutley, N.J./Nutley) drew a two-out walk to put two Pioneers on base. Lombardo then came up and drove in one on an RBI single before Yelin ripped a two-RBI double to extend the Pioneers' lead to four (5-1). With Yelin on second, Carter recorded an RBI base hit to make it a five-run game (6-1).  
• The Scarlet Raptors tallied a run in the bottom of the second, but the Pioneers got it back in the fourth after a Yelin solo home run.
• However, in the bottom half of the fourth, Rutgers-Camden logged three extra-base hits and pulled within one (7-6) after scoring three runs.
• The ensuing inning, the Scarlet Raptors grabbed their first lead of the game after plating five runs on three hits to take an 11-7 advantage.
• William Paterson worked to get back into the game and evened the score in the sixth. Lombardo and Yelin notched consecutive singles before both scoring on a Weis two-RBI double to left center. Weis later came in to score on a two-bagger by Cabassa. With two outs, an RBI single by sophomore Tyler Ruban (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Twp.) tied the game at 11-11.
• The Scarlet Raptors immediately countered in the bottom half of the inning and two runs crossed home to put Rutgers-Camden back in front, 13-11.
• William Paterson once again had an answer though and scored five runs in the seventh. The Pioneers loaded the bases to open the frame after a Lombardo walk, Yelin double and Weis base on balls. A costly fielding error on a ball put in play by Carter permitted two runs to score that tied the game at 13 apiece. With two runners on, Cabassa launched a ball over the fence in right center for a three-run homer that gave the Pioneers a 16-13 lead.
• The offense continued to stay hot and in the eighth added two more runs. Santos drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI triple by Lombardo. Yelin then drove in Lombardo on a sacrifice fly to deep center to extend the lead to five (18-13).
• The Pioneers were not finished yet as they tacked on three additional runs in the ninth. Ruban got on base with a leadoff single and Lombardo followed two batters later with a base hit of his own. Yelin then drove them both in with his second home run of the contest.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Yelin finished 5-for-5 with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBI and five runs scored.
• Lombardo had a four-hit outing with a triple, five runs and two RBI.
• Weis went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and a pair of RBI.
• Carter batted 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI and two runs.
• Cabassa collected three hits in six at-bats with a home run, a double, four RBI and three runs.
• Ruban tallied three hits with an RBI and a run scored.
• Santos recorded a pair of runs.
• Six Pioneers notched multi-hit outings.
• William Paterson finished with a season-high 22 hits while tying their season-best single-game run total.
• The four home runs were the most by the Pioneers in a game this season.

 
UP NEXT:

• The Pioneers return to action Tuesday, April 25, at Jeff Albies Field for a non-conference game against St. Joseph's Long Island slated for 3:30 p.m.

 
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