Wayne, NJ: William Paterson (10-5, 1-2 NJAC) opened a softball doubleheader against visiting Ramapo (13-2, 2-1 NJAC) with a 7-2 victory April 6. The Roadrunners were leading the second contest, 5-3 after three innings, when the game was halted due to rain. Since the two teams did not complete five innings, the game is not official. All statistics will be discarded and the re-scheduled contest will be started in the top of the first inning. The second game has been rescheduled for Friday, April 8th at 3:30pm.
William Paterson jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings en route to the 7-2 victory.
The Pioneers got on the scoreboard twice in the bottom of the second. Junior outfielder Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) led off with a grounder past the Roadrunner second baseman and into center field. She moved up to second base on a groundout, followed by a Danielle Capozzi (Wanaque, N.J./Lakeland Regional) two-out walk. Both runners gained a base on a wild pitch, and when Katelyn Miele (Flanders, N.J./Pope John XXIII) singled into right field, Roder scored easily and Capozzi was able to find the plate when the Roadrunner catcher could not cleanly handle the throw home.
Senior first baseman Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) singled off the pitcher to start the third frame and was lifted for pinch runner Laura Henriquez (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional). Senior Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) put down a sacrifice bunt and was out at first, but the Ramapo second baseman who was covering at first alertly threw down to second where Henriquez had taken too large a turn, resulting in an unusual double play. Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Hand (Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central) doubled to left field and was replaced by pinch runner Lauren Bogart (West Milford, N.J./West Milford). Roder singled to plate Bogart, and she ran to second on the throw home. When the Roadrunner catcher decided to throw down to second in an attempt to get Roder, her throw sailed into the outfield, and the Pioneer left fielder was able to scamper the remaining 120 feet and avoid the tag at the plate for a 4-0 score.
A Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North) fielder's choice and a Vitale double down the left-field line made it a 5-0 score after four innings. To start the home half of the sixth, senior center fielder Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.) walked and stole second before Miele punt down a bunt that stopped dead on the first-base line, a single that put runners on the corners. Ramapo got the lead runner on a fielder's choice, but Vitale stepped up and drilled a two-run single to hand WP a 7-0 advantage.
Ramapo broke through for two runs during the top of the seventh. Freshman
Harley Masiello (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) provided a pinch-hit sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and zero outs, and junior
Tiffany Fischer (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Pascack Hills) singled in
Lisa Orlando (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield).
Vitale was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI, while Roder finished 2-for-3 and scored three times. Miele finished 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runners. Hand (3-1) struck out two and walked one in 7.0 innings, scattering six hits.
Fischer and sophomore
Amanda Kent (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXII) each had two hits for Ramapo. Senior
Deanna Giordano (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) allowed eight hits and five runs (four earned) in 3.2 innings to fall to 6-2. Junior
Lauren Shaw (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) tossed the final 2.1 innings, surrendering two runs on a pair of hits.
The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow April, 7th when they travel to Hunter College for a 3:30 pm double header.
