The Scarlet Raiders were defeated by the William Paterson Pioneers on Thursday evening, 13–8, in a high-scoring affair at Weequahic Park. The game started off rough for Rutgers-Newark, as William Paterson steadily built a commanding lead behind aggressive offense and clutch hitting. The Pioneers plated three runs in the top of the second inning, then blew the game open in the fourth with a five-run outburst. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth, jumping ahead 10–0 by the midway point of the game.
Rutgers-Newark finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. The Recchia Brothers strung together key hits to put three runs on the board. However, William Paterson answered right back with a run in the top of the sixth, extending the lead to 11–3. Both teams were quiet through the seventh, but the Pioneers added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth to push their total to 13.
The Scarlet Raiders made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, rallying for five runs thanks to a series of hits and walks that sparked life into the home dugout. Despite the late push, the comeback fell short, and the game ended with Rutgers-Newark still trailing by five.
Jose Marte earned the win for William Paterson, improving to 2–1 on the season, while Matthew King suffered the loss, dropping to 4–2. Offensively, Rutgers-Newark actually outhit William Paterson 14–12, but the Pioneers capitalized more efficiently with runners on base and took advantage of a few defensive miscues. The Scarlet Raiders will look to rebound tomorrow as they travel to Wayne, NJ for a rematch with William Paterson.
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