HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 21, 2022) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team got quality starts from first-year Jordan Fisse and junior Ryan Shea as well as a massive grand slam from senior Ryan Wall to lead the Ducks to a doubleheader split against William Paterson University in non-conference action at Dobbelaar Field.

With the results, Stevens moves its record to 3-2 on the young season. William Paterson drops to 1-2.
 
"The first game got away from us in the seventh, but the importance of the win our student-athletes picked up in game two cannot be overstated," head coach Kristaps Aldins said. "William Paterson is a very strong ball club with an excellent lineup top-to-bottom and I am proud of the way our team competed and persevered today. Over the years we have found that playing William Paterson, win or lose, helps us get better and prepare our team for the rest of our season. They are a very well-coached and talented program and it is a great regional rivalry for us that we are thankful to compete in."
 
Stevens scratched across the first run of the day in the bottom of the second as junior Ben Tobio reached on a one-out infield single, scampered to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on throwing error by the William Paterson shortstop. Senior Ryan Finegan kept the rally going with a two-out single through the right-side, putting runners on first and second. After another wild pitch, senior Chris Silos was plunked to load the bases, however, the opportunity to extend the lead went to the wayside as William Paterson starter Ian Metzger (1-0) bore down and induced an unassisted groundout to first base.
 
The 1-0 lead held up all the way to the top of the fifth when the Pioneers used an RBI single from Vinnie Martin to tie things up 1-1. In the sixth William Paterson took its first lead of the day thanks to a Carson Weis double off reliever Alex Smith (0-1) and a Justin Grippo sacrifice fly to jump ahead 2-1. After the Ducks went quietly in the bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers put the game away with an eight-run inning in the last frame.
 
Stevens was led in game one by Finegan who had a pair of singles in two at-bats and Tobio who went 1 for 2 with a run scored. Steve Yelin, Dan Carter, and Carson Weis enjoyed multiple-hit games to pace the Pioneers.
 
Fisse pitched into the fifth inning, giving up only one earned run and four hits while collecting two strikeouts in the no-decision. Metzger was outstanding, going the distance, allowing an unearned run in the complete-game victory, striking out four and not walking a batter. 
 
Shea (1-0) was the story for Stevens in game two, as he kept Pioneer hitters off balance for the majority of the afternoon. and picked up the win. After giving up a solo homer to Grippo in the first, the junior left-hander proceeded to fire four consecutive scoreless frames until William Paterson scratched another run across in the fifth. 
 
The Ducks' bats finally came alive in the bottom of the fourth. Finegan started the rally against Jordan Manne (0-1) with a one-out single up the middle. First-year Zachary Boykin followed with a single of his own, which marked his first collegiate hit. Senior Brett Mendez continued his hot start to the season with a double down the left-field line, scoring Finegan to the contest at one. After a ptiching change, first-year Evan Pravato walked to load the bases for senior Ryan Wall, who sent a long, towering fly ball over the fence in right center for a clutch grand slam to put the Ducks up for good.
 
The Ducks extended their lead in the fifth, when sophomore Christian Kreiser tripled to right center and scored on a sharp double down the right field line by Finegan.
 
From that point forth, junior Justin Doyle became a centerpiece of the contest as the right-hander entered the game in the top of the sixth and fired three strong innings, giving up an earned run on one hit. 
 
Aside from Wall's grand slam, the Ducks had some big performances from their lineup as well from Mendez who went 3 for 5 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI. Finegan also had a multi-hit day, finishing 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. First-year Eli Somers doubled late in the contest for his first collegiate hit.
 
William Paterson had a multiple hit day from Yelin.
 
Up Next: The Ducks nine will next welcome Drew University to Dobbelaar Field for a single nine inning game on Feb. 26. Stevens holds a large edge in the all-time series at 10-3 and the Ducks clipped the Rangers in their last meeting in 2020 by a score of 6-4 in a game also played in Hoboken.
 
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