Glassboro, NJ – Senior third baseman Connor Abreu (Piscataway, NJ, Piscataway) drove in a pair of runs and first baseman while first baseman Christopher Reynolds (Randolph, NJ, Randolph) also had two RBI as third-seeded Montclair State moved into the championship round of the NJAC Baseball Tournament with a 5-4 victory over sixth-seeded William Paterson at Rowan University on Saturday.

Senior lefthander Dylan Papa (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) tossed 7 1/3 solid innings for his fifth while NJAC Fireman of the Year John Silvestri (Livingston, NJ, Seton Hall Prep) picked up his fourth save as MSU (22-16) now advances to meet Rowan University on Sunday, May 4 at Noon. Should the Red Hawks win, a winner-take-all contest will immediately follow to crown the league champion and automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

It will be the third meeting of the year between the two, all in Glassboro as MSU and Rowan split a doubleheader on April 19. Montclair State won the first game 6-3 in 12 innings before Rowan claimed the nightcap with a 4-3 triumph.

A third meeting of the year is what Montclair State and William Paterson were playing in Saturday's elimination game with the Red Hawks looking to upend its local rival for the third time.

The Pioneers (18-21-1) struck first as K.C. Abel doubled down the left field line with one out and Trevor Haughney followed with an RBI single giving WPU a 1-0 lead. Montclair State quickly responded in the bottom of the first. Abreu led off with a single and Ryan Long (Washington Township, NJ, Washington Township) walked. A sacrifice moved the runners along before Reynolds doubled home both runs for a 2-1 MSU lead.

Montclair added to its lead in the sixth putting the first two runners aboard. Anderson Rosa (Perth Amboy, NJ, Perth Amboy) reached on an error and Cody Pace (Milltown, NJ, Spotswood) doubled. Abreu smacked a double bringing in both runners extending the Red Hawks lead to 4-1.  William Paterson scored twice in the seventh to pull within a run however Jayson Stolz (Iselin, NJ, John F. Kennedy) singled in Reynolds in the bottom half putting MSU in front 5-3.

In the ninth, the Pioneers rallied as two hits, a sacrifice bunt and error made the score 5-4 with one out. With the tying run at third, Silvestri put a pitch in the dirt that appeared to get away from Rosa. The runner broke toward home however Rosa was able to aply the tag for the second out. Silvestri then fanned the batter to end the game.

Papa upped his record to 5-2 as he allowed six hits, struck out two and walked one. Silvestri had three strikeouts in hit 1 2/3 innings of work.

Reynolds was 3-for-5 at the plate while Abreu, Rosa and Lou Martini (Flemington, NJ, North Hunterdon) had two hits apiece for MSU.