Following a pair of difficult losses earlier in the week against Ramapo College, the William Paterson Pioneers baseball program remains firmly in the hunt for the New Jersey Athletic Confernece postseason. In a Saturday afternoon doubleheader defined by offensive explosions and late-inning tension, the Pioneers split the series with Stockton University to maintain their hold on the sixth seed in the conference.
The Pioneers wasted no time asserting dominance in the opening frame of the opening game. Junior designated hitter Ty Kobylakiewicz cleared the bases with a three-run double that nearly cleared the left-field wall at the 370-foot mark, missing a grand slam by a mere two feet. The blast off Stockton’s Tim Welsh, a sophomore, ignited a four-run first inning, capped by senior third baseman Angel Colon’s RBI single.
Pioneer junior ace Rob Nathan held the lead through the middle innings, despite a defensive error in the fifth that allowed Stockton to pull within two. By the top of the sixth, William Paterson extended the cushion to 7-4 after junior second baseman Devin Daproza, who reached base via walk four times in the contest, scored on a single from freshman first baseman Matt Caurso.
However, the tide turned in the eighth. After the Pioneers’ bats went cold, Stockton’s sophomore second baseman Dom Vizzoni sparked a rally, eventually scoring on a game-tying double by sophomore center fielder Matthew McCloskey. The Ospreys capitalized on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth to take their first lead of the day, securing an 8-7 comeback victory.
Desperate for a split, William Paterson turned to junior right-hander Jose Marte, who delivered a masterful performance. Marte threw seven innings of one-run ball, scattering four hits and striking out two while keeping the Ospreys’ hitters off-balance.
The offense provided Marte with early support. In the second inning, the Pioneers loaded the bases for junior center fielder Avery Whitney, whose RBI single initiated a three-run flurry. Leading 4-1, William Paterson broke the game open in the seventh. After sophomore Kevin Dipede entered in relief for Stockton, the Pioneers capitalized on a series of hits from Colon and sophomore catcher Alex Gomez, whose two-run shot down the third-base line pushed the lead to 7-2.
Stockton threatened in the eighth, scoring three runs after Marte exited the game. Senior closer Nick Durso was summoned to stop the bleeding, eventually navigating a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to secure the victory and the series split.
The split leaves William Paterson in the sixth and final qualifying spot for the NJAC tournament. Between the five through eight spots, only two games separate Rutgers-Camden, William Paterson, Stockton, and The College of New Jersey.
The Pioneers, now 13-19, 6-8 in the NJAC, will step out of conference play on Tuesday, April 21, when they travel to Purchase, N.Y., for a matchup against Manhattanville University.
