Wayne, NJ – Junior center fielder Rick Pignatello  scored the go-ahead run on a balk with one out in the ninth as William Paterson staved off backyard and New Jersey Athletic Conference rival Montclair State, 6-5, in baseball action Thursday at Pioneer Baseball Park.  

The Pioneers (22-11, 9-4 NJAC) scored two runs off balks and forged a tie for first place atop the NJAC with The College of New Jersey and Montclair State (17-12-2, 9-4 NJAC) despite squandering a 4-0 lead. Junior catcher ANDREW VICARO (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) went 4-for-5 with an RBI for the Red Hawks.

Pignatello led off the ninth by hitting a hot smash down the third-base line that took a bad hop and went over the head of Montclair State senior third baseman DANNY RODRIGUEZ, enabling the Pioneer center fielder to reach second with a double. With one out, junior left fielder Don Reinertsen drew a walk. A double-steal placed runners on second and third before a balk issued by Montclair State freshman reliever WILLIAM TRAVERSO.

Montclair State had climbed back into the game after trailing 4-0 after five innings. A two-run double by junior pinch-hitter ROB BOWNESS  in the eighth tied the game at 5-5, but the Red Hawks could not get any closer against William Paterson sophomore closer Stephen Schlitzer , who allowed two hits in 1.2 innings of work to improve to 4-1.

Montclair State pulled within 4-3 in the sixth off William Paterson sophomore left-hander Ryan Lobban  thanks to an RBI single by Vicaro, a sacrifice fly by freshman right fielder SCOTT EVANGELIST  and sophomore designated hitter ROBERT CLARK  scoring off the back end of a double steal.

William Paterson took a 1-0 lead in the first when junior first baseman Ted King lashed an RBI single to score junior second baseman Wayne Poppe, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. The Pioneers scored three unearned runs in the fifth as sophomore catcher Don Hays came around on an infield error, Pignatello crossed home plate on a balk and Poppe crossed on a wild pitch. Poppe added an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to give the Pioneers a 5-3 lead before Bowness' two-run double tied the game.

Sophomore left-hander NICK RECCHIA  fell to 4-3 after allowing eight hits and six runs (three earned) over 8.1 innings. He walked five and fanned four. Offensively for the Red Hawks, Rodriguez finished 2-for-5 as Montclair State hammered out 13 hits.

For William Paterson, Pignatello scored twice and stole two bases to give him 24 this season. Lobban took a no-decision after scattering 11 hits and five runs (all earned) over 7.1 innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Montclair State travels to league adversary New Jersey City tomorrow for a 3:30 p.m. tilt.