Montclair, NJ – Sophomore catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) went 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs as William Paterson University used some timely hitting along with a solid pitching performance in a 6-2 win over Montclair State at Yogi Berra Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Senior righthander Ryan Monaghan (Bergenfield, NJ / Bergenfield) tossed six solid inning with freshman righty Bryan Kopko (Colonia, NJ / Colonia) recording the final nine outs for his second save as the Pioneers (14-5, 2-3 NJAC) took the first game of the home-and-home set against their local rival.
The two teams will meet at Jeff Albies Field in Wayne, NJ on Friday, April 10 at 3:30 pm.
Junior catcher
PETER PENA (Lodi, NJ / Colegia Juan Pablo Duarte (D.R.)) and
KEITH MURPHY (Point Pleasant, NJ / Point Pleasant Boro) each had two hits and an RBI for the Red Hawks (9-11, 3-4 NJAC), who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
William Paterson would score three runs with two outs in the contest however the Pioneers put a run on the board in two at bats in the third to break a scoreless tie. Jordan Aughey (Wanaque, NJ / Lakeland Regional) doubled down the left field line to open the inning. Knauf followed with a base hit giving WP a 1-0 lead.
They would add to the lead in the fifth as Kanuf led off with a singled and later scored as Mike Abate (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Hills) belted an opposite-field double to left-center scoring Knauf for a 2-0 Pioneer advantage.
Montclair State would close the gap to a run in the sixth.
HECTOR GONZALEZ (Meriden, CT / Maloney) singled to open the inning and
PHILIP SCOTT (Paulsboro, NJ / Paulsboro) was hit by a pitch with one out. Murphy smacked a single through the left side scoring Gonzalez and Pena flared a base hit to right with two outs making the score 3-2.
But William Paterson answered in the seventh. Tyler Gargiulo (Paramus, NJ / Paramus) singled with one out and went to second on a failed pickoff attempts. After a pop up, AJ Flores (West Orange, NJ / West Orange) doubled down the left field line as the Pioneers extended the lead to 4-2. WP added two more in the eighth inning as a two-out error allowed one run to score. Knauf delivered an RBI single for the final run.
Monaghan (4-1) went the first six innings allowing six hits and the two runs. He struck out four and walked one. Kopko gave up two hits and fanned one. Righthander
DONALD CUSICK (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Valley) took the loss for MSU as he fell to 0-3. Cusick allowed three runs and six hits in five innings with four strikeouts.
Gonzalez had two hits for Montclair State.
