Rangers Edge Pioneers, Myers Wins Third

Box Score
MADISON, N.J. (April 19, 2011) – Another solid pitching effort by freshman Ken Myers (Stratford, N.J/Sterling) earned him his third victory of the year in a 5-4 win over William Paterson (16-11-1) this afternoon. The Rangers have won their last three games at home and improve to 9-20-1 on the year.

After giving up a solo home run to Scott Ptaszynski in the first inning, the freshman Myers limited the pioneer offense for the majority of the day, striking out six batters while surrendering only three earned runs.

The Rangers knotted the game back up in the bottom of the third on a Steve Debonis (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) RBI single to center field that scored Pat Lydon (Cumberland, R.I./Mount St. Charles Academy).

The Pioneers recaptured the lead in their next turn at the plate taking advantage of the Rangers' only two errors on the afternoon. William Paterson starting pitcher, Greg Baker, ran into trouble in the bottom half of the fourth, which ultimately led to his exit.

Neil Cashes (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional) started the Ranger rally with a triple off the right center field wall. Lydon stepped in and pushd him across in the next at bat to pull the tie the game back up at two. The next batter, Michael Bodden (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) would help manufacture the next two runs with both his bat and legs. The sophomore singled to move Lydon to third got himself in a run down to help score Lydon. Bodden, who safely reached second, stole third and then scored on one of two Baker wild pitches in the inning.

The resilient Pioneer club would pull within a run in the top of the sixth inning thanks to Ptaszynski's third RBI of the game. Rob Pasternak hit a two-out double to center field and was quickly plated by a Ptaszynski single to make the score 4-3.

The Rangers added, what would prove to be the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh after a bases loaded ground out by Bodden that scored Justin Mancini (Haskell, N.J./Lakeland Regional). The speedy Bodden kept the Rangers out of a double play that scored the fifth and final run for the Rangers.

William Paterson forced Myers out of the game after 7.1 innings after he surrendered a one-out double to Anthony Dorio. Reliever Dan Blum (Cambridge, Mass./Prospect Hill Academy) came on and retired the next batter on a grounder to second that moved Dorio to third. Dorio then closed the game to one when he scored on a passed ball.

Blum struck out the final batter of the inning and put himself in position for the save in the top of the ninth. He struck out the first batter issued a free pass to Rob Somers. Another passed ball got Somers, the tying run, into scoring position, but Blum got the second out via the strike out and got the final out on a comebacker to end the game.

DeBonis, Mancini and Lydon each had two hits on the day and accounted for three of the five Ranger runs. DeBonis was 2-for-5 with an RBI while Lydon scored two runs in his 2-for-5 day at the plate.

The Rangers will be at home on Friday in their final Landmark home series of the season. Moravian will come to Doc young field for a three-game set beginning with a doubleheader at 1:00 on Friday. Prior to game one the Rangers will honor their seniors in celebration of Senior Day.