NEWARK, N.J. – Behind a season-high run total, the William Paterson softball team (8-9, 2-2 NJAC) cruised to an 18-0 win in five innings against Rutgers-Newark (1-15, 0-4 NJAC) in game one before securing a 6-1 victory in game two to complete the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) road sweep March 31.
GAME ONE:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers had two runners in scoring position in the first inning when junior Megan Tinger (Garwood, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) doubled down the left field line to put WP ahead, 1-0. Senior Lilah Guthy (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) then drove in the second run of the afternoon on an infield single.
- With one out and the bases loaded in the second frame, a single by senior Hailey Backo (Wallington, N.J./Wallington) plated a run before a costly Rutgers-Newark throwing error on the play allowed another run to cross, pushing the Pioneer lead to four (4-0).
- A sacrifice fly by Tinger made it 5-0 before another error by the Scarlet Raiders permitted the sixth WP run of the game to cross. The Pioneers scored one more run in the second after sophomore Aubrey Miller (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester County Institute of Technology) ripped an RBI double to left.
- Junior Samantha Campos (River Edge, N.J./River Dell) led off the third with a double to left and came around to score on a two-out RBI two-bagger by freshman Gianna Capone (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East). Backo drove in Capone with an RBI single, extending the WP advantage to nine (9-0).
- The Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth when a wild pitch allowed senior Lilah Guthy (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) to score from third. Two batters later, sophomore Stephanie Ciravolo (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) made it an 11-run game (11-0) with an RBI single to left.
- Before the fourth frame came to a close, WP tacked on four more runs following a bases-loaded walk by Backo, a two-RBI single by Tinger and an RBI single by Guthy.
- WP plated three additional runs in the fifth before securing the 18-0 road win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Backo batted 4-for-4 with a double, six RBI and three runs scored.
- Guthy went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
- She additionally tossed five shutout innings and struck out five en route to her second win of the season.
- Tinger drove in four runs during a two-hit performance.
- Campos and Ciravolo recorded two hits apiece.
- Senior Brandi Shortway (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park) crossed home three times and drove in a run.
- Capone recorded four runs and an RBI.
- WP finished with 18 runs on 18 hits, marking the most runs and hits by the Pioneers in a game since March 26, 2022.
GAME TWO:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage in the first after Capone crossed home from third following a bunt single by Backo.
- WP loaded the bases in the third with no outs, setting up Backo for a two-RBI ground-rule double that extended the Pioneers lead to four (4-0). Tinger then grounded out to the right side of the infield, allowing another run to score to make it 5-0.
- In the fourth, Shortway grounded out for the first out of the frame, but Shand came in to score on the play to push the lead to six (6-0).
- Rutgers-Newark plated a run in the fifth, but the Pioneers held on for the 6-1 road win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Backo finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, three RBI and a run scored.
- Capone walked twice and recorded two runs scored.
- Shortway logged a hit, an RBI and a run scored.
- Miller earned the win after pitching six scoreless frames and striking out three.
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