The William Paterson Pioneers baseball offense erupted Monday afternoon in Wayne, pounding the Stevens Ducks 20-5 as the bats stayed hot with the warmer weather settling into North Jersey.
The Pioneers struck first in the bottom of the first inning. After getting runners on base, junior outfielder Stephen Kubis lined an RBI single up the middle to bring home the game’s first run. Moments later, junior infielder Angel Colon followed with another RBI single to center, pushing the early advantage to 2-0.
William Paterson added to the lead in the second inning with an aggressive offensive frame. A run-scoring single from junior designated hitter Devin Daproza made it 3-0, and he later advanced to second on the throw home. Senior shortstop Dylan Santos drove in another run with a groundout before Daproza showcased heads-up baserunning, swiping home on a passed ball with two outs to cap a three-run inning and extend the lead to 5-0.
Starting pitcher Julian Salinas, making his first start of the season, ran into trouble in the third inning when catcher E.J. Balewitz Jr. launched a two-run homer to center field to get Stevens on the board. Despite allowing traffic on the bases throughout his outing, Salinas limited the damage and received defensive help, including a double play turned by the Pioneers to end the third.
The Pioneers responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning. Senior catcher Eliot Germanson ripped a double into the right-center field gap that cleared the bases, driving in three runs and stretching the lead to 8-2.
William Paterson continued to pour it on in the fourth inning. Junior first baseman
Ty Kobylakiewicz blasted a solo home run down the left-field line, sparking a five-run frame. Colon greeted him at the plate with a celebratory helmet headbutt before Santos delivered one of the biggest blows of the afternoon, drilling a bases-clearing double into right-center to push the lead to 13-2.
Salinas worked through five innings in his season debut, allowing two earned runs on eight hits while striking out six batters. Although he faced baserunners in every inning he pitched, the right-hander kept Stevens from mounting any serious comeback.
Defensively, Sean Lauterhahn made one of the highlight plays of the game in the fourth inning, laying out for a diving catch in the outfield that prevented three runs from scoring and preserved the Pioneers’ comfortable lead.
The offense kept rolling late. Colon added two more RBIs to his impressive afternoon with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh. The Pioneers ultimately tacked on seven more runs after their big fourth inning, continuing to apply pressure throughout the game.
Mike Peia put an exclamation point on the dominant performance in the eighth inning, crushing a three-run home run to left field in his second career at bat in Wayne.
William Paterson improved to 5-2 through its first seven games, similar to last year when the Pioneers started red-hot in nonconference play before momentum dropped once conference play began.
They will face off against St. Joseph’s (Long Island) on Wednesday, Mar.11, barring weather complications, at 4 p.m. at Jeff Albies Field.
