At Yogi Berra Stadium, the William Paterson Pioneers and Montclair State Red Hawks (19-14) split a softball doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.
Game 1
The first pitching matchup of the day had Red Hawks senior Kayla Volante (10-5) squaring off against Pioneers freshman Jaelynn Miller (4-5).
Montclair State (19-14) was able to apply pressure on the freshman from the get-go. Senior Danielle Sibilio hit a solo homer in the first, and then an avalanche of runs began in the following innings. In the third, after sophomore Kayla Cosentino and senior Alyssa Borozan got on base, sophomore Stephanie Seritis hit a deep double to bring both runners home and extend the lead to 3-0.
Leading off in the fourth, sophomore Danielle DeCarlo hit a double to set up what was the dagger. DeCarlo was brought home after repeating the third inning with Cosentino and Borozan finding their way on base again. Then, Danielle Sibillo hits her second home run, a three-run shot, to extend Montclair State's lead to 7-0.
The game was out of reach for the Pioneers (14-13) as Miller was pulled after allowing 11 base hits. Seniors Carly McDaniel and Caitlyn Monahan tried to mount a comeback in the final inning but could only muster up three runs as Montclair State closed out the first game 7-3.
Game 2
This game featured Red Hawks junior Ali Cavallero against sophomore Lexi Corio.
Picking up where they left off, Alyssa Borozan got on base, followed by Danielle Sibilio hitting a near-perfect single that rolled down the third baseline. This bought enough time for Borozan to sprint home and provide the game's first run.
Things almost took a turn for the worst for the Pioneers in the second inning, but they didn't let it get out of hand. After a couple of walks and senior Anna Dilaurenzo being hit by a pitch, Borozan hit a single to drive in a run. This was followed by Kayla Cosentino drawing a walk that brought another run home to extend the lead to three. Unlike the last game, Corio was able to hold on and escape the inning.
Cosentino added another run on a groundout in the fourth to extend the Red Hawks' lead to 4-0. However, the Pioneers didn't fold. After junior Kilee Oretel and senior Jillian Bigos finally found the bases, senior Lauren Naveo drilled a double to left field to bring home both runners and start the comeback. Carly McDaniel followed up with a base hit of her own, and then Caitlyn Monahan hit another double to bring both runners home. Just like that, the game was even at four.
In the final inning, Montclair scored nothing while William Paterson's Anna Nunziato and Lauren Naveo were able to get on base and then each stole a base, with Nunziato advancing to third and Naveo to second on a double steal. When trying to get Naveo out on a stolen base, the ball flew past the glove on second base leading to a walk-in run for Nunziato. Another throwing error to third base led to Naveo scoring as well. Caitlyn Monahan was at bat amidst this and didn't need to score as the Pioneers held on for the 6-4 victory.
What's Next For Both Teams
The Red Hawks will get a few days off before returning to the same stadium on Saturday for their doubleheader against TCNJ (20-5). William Paterson will have a quick turnaround Thursday afternoon as they get ready to travel to Madison and square off against Drew University (20-11).
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- Montclair State knocks out NJCU to advance to NJAC semi-finals - February 19, 2023
- Montclair Hangs On for Victory Over Kean Cougars - February 11, 2023
