DAVENPORT, Fla. – The William Paterson baseball team (5-9) was defeated 21-5 by Western New England (6-5) at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational March 20. The game was ended after seven innings due to the 10-run lead rule.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Senior Jake Lutz (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) led off the game for the Pioneers with a double to left and scored two batters later on an RBI two-bagger to right center by freshman Ty Kobylakiewicz (Woodbridge, N.J./Woodbridge) to make it 1-0.
• The Golden Bears countered in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of runs on back-to-back walks with the bases loaded to go ahead 2-1.
• Western New England plated 10 runs in the third to extend the advantage to 11 (12-1).
• William Paterson got four runs back in the fourth. Junior Tyler Ruban (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Twp.) shot a ball up the middle for a one-out base hit before classmate Austin Jack (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Twp.) notched a two-run home run.
• After the second out of the frame was recorded, junior Christian Hay (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) doubled and junior Giovanni Aresta (Matawan, N.J./Old Bridge) belted the ball over the fence in left for the Pioneers' second two-run homer of the inning that trimmed the deficit to seven (12-5).
• The Golden Bears responded with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth before tacking on an additional run in the fifth to push the lead to 16 (21-5).

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Five of the Pioneers' nine hits went for extra bases.
• Lutz batted 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
• Hay tallied two hits with a double and a run scored.
• Aresta and Jack each recorded a homer with two RBI and a run.

 
UP NEXT:

• William Paterson will square off against Washington and Jefferson Thursday, March 21, at 11:00 a.m. in Auburndale, Fla.