Montclair, NJ – William Paterson third baseman Carlos Perez drove in a pair of runs as the Pioneers used a four-run first inning and closed out its regular season with a 6-4 victory over Montclair State at Yogi Berra Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Righthander Jeff Lombardi closed out the game with 4 1/3 innings of solid relief as WPU (25-13, 10-8 NJAC) completed the home-and-home series sweep against its local rival. The Pioneers, who are headed to this week's NJAC Tournament, posted a 9-2 win in Wayne, NJ on Thursday.

Freshman DONALD GONNELLI belted a solo home run for the Red Hawks, who finished the year at 12-25 overall, 3-15 in conference play.

For the second straight meeting, William Paterson put multiple runs on the board in its first at bat. Steven DiGirolamo and Matt Ferraea opened the game with base hits before Steve Yelin drew a one-out walk that loaded the bases. Danny Carter followed with a free pass that scored the first run and Vin Dorio bounced a single through the left side for another giving WPU a 2-0 lead. Perez walked to force home the third run with Greg Cuevas doing the same for the final run.

Montclair cut that lead in half during the second innings. After ANDREW OLLWERTHER was hit by a pitch, DANIEL CLEMENTE singled. BRAD EDWARDS followed with a base hit scoring Ollwerther. Two batters later, HAYDEN REYES lofted a sacrifice fly scoring Clemente as MSU pulled within 4-2.

William Paterson added run in the fifth as Perez doubled home Carter, who had reached on a one-out error. Clemente got that run back for the Red Hawks with a single scoring JOE NORTON making the score 5-3.

Gonnelli opened the sixth with a solo home run off the scoreboard netting in left centerfield bringing MSU within a run. MSU would put runners on second and third with one out, however Lombardi escaped the jam with a strikeout and ground out.

In the eighth, MSU threatened as Reyes collected a one-out single back through the middle and stole second. Lombardi recorded a strikeout for the second out. Norton then smacked a ball into the shortstop hole that Cuevas dove for. Not only did he prevent the ball from going through which would have tied the game, he was then able to fire a throw to first that just reached just in time ending the inning.

The Pioneers used that momentum to tack on an insurance run in the ninth. Steve Zukovsky lofted a single to right field scoring Yelin, who began the inning with an infield single.

Lombardi (3-0) allowed three hits, struck out three and walked two. Freshman TYLER DIEFENBACH (2-5) took the loss for MSU. Freshman righthander DONOVAN BRADY pitched four innings allowing three hits with an unearned run, striking out two and walking two.

Edwards had two of Montclair State's six hits in the game.