WAYNE, NJ – Junior rightfielder Brian Gill went three for five with an RBI triple in the first and a run-producing single in the second, but William Paterson rallied for a 6-4 New Jersey Athletic Conference win in Pioneer Park.
NCAA Statistics
The Scarlet Raiders (11-12, NJAC 4-4) jumped out to a 4-1 lead during the first three innings, but the Pioneers (15-8, NJAC 5-2) leveled the score against freshman starter Billy Cerruti in the fifth inning before getting the winning run in the seventh against freshman reliever Ryan Williams and an insurance run in the eighth against sophomore John Kuder. Cerruti scattered eight hits while striking out four and walking four in six full innings.
Gill tripled to right centerfield to bring home freshman second baseman Matt Connors who had reached on an error to start the game. Gill then made it 2-0 went senior first baseman Dan Zika singled up the middle with one away.
In the second, Raider freshman shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer had a lead-off single and came home on Gill's two-out single to right to run the score to 3-1.
Zika doubled to lead off the third, moved to third on back-to-back walks issued to senior leftfielder Doug Ford and sophomore third baseman Joe Furnaguera, and scored on fielder's choice ground to shortstop by Reitemeyer.
But, Pioneer starter Scott Zirul weathered the storm and retired the Raider in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. After giving up back-to-back singles to Gill and sophomore designated hitter Anthony Yeswita with one out in the seventh, Zirul was replaced by senior reliever Steve Schlitzer. After loading the bases with a walk, Schlitzer got a pair of fly balls to escape the jam and went on to close out the game while allowing just one hit against two strikeouts.
Sophomore right fielder Mike Guadango slapped two solo home runs to highlight a three for four effort at the plate for the Pioneers while sophomore leftfielder Andrue Laguerre also went three for four.
Junior centerfielder John Elia delivered the game-wining hit, a two-out RBI single to center, in the seventh before the Pioneers strung together three straight single to produce an insurance run in the eighth.
Rutgers-Newark had its chances, loading the bases in the seventh with one away and advancing a runner to third in the eighth, but William Paterson never broke.
The Raiders travel to DeSales on Wednesday for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference contest before returning to Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium on Thursday to host Lehman.
