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D'Alessandro, Musilli set table for Williamstown in win over Triton

Between the two of them, Nick D'Alessandro and Dan Musilli were just 2 for 7 for the Williamstown baseball team Tuesday.

Between the two of them, Nick D'Alessandro and Dan Musilli were just 2 for 7 for the Williamstown baseball team Tuesday.

D'Alessandro also was hit by a pitch. And Musilli reached on an error.

D'Alessandro also stole three bases. And Musilli stole three bases, too.

D'Alessandro also scored two runs. And Musilli scored two runs, too.

So when the speedy seniors at the top of the lineup had ceased causing havoc for another day, Williamstown left town with a 7-4 victory over Triton in a Tri-County Conference Royal Division game.

"Nobody is perfect," Musilli said. "Everybody is going to make mistakes. We want to make the other team make plays. We want to make them make mistakes."

The table-setters' busy work backed some strong pitching by junior left-hander Denny Bentley for Williamstown (5-1 overall, 1-0 in the division), the No. 14 team in The Inquirer Top 20.

Mixing a sharp fastball with an effective slider, Bentley threw a complete game, allowing four unearned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. He struck out four in the last two innings.

"He started out strong and he stayed strong the whole game," Williamstown coach Joe Smith said.

Pat Ryder rapped an RBI double and Dyan Gallagher delivered a two-run single for Triton (4-4, 1-2).

"Coming back the way we did, we showed some heart and some guts," Triton coach Frank Marciano said of his team's rally from a 5-0 deficit to within 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth.

Williamstown is one of the more energetic, enthusiastic teams in South Jersey, with constant chatter emanating from the dugout and a ritual where every runner who scores is greeted by a phalanx of chanting teammates.

That approach is perfectly suited to D'Alessandro and Musilli, who bat No. 1 and No. 2 in the lineup and use their speed and aggressive to set the tone.

"We need to be leaders at the top of the lineup," said D'Alessandro, who singled, stole second and third and scored on Ross Micka's sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning.

Smith said that with D'Alessandro and Musilli at the top of the lineup, Williamstown has the ability to put pressure on opposing defenses.

"Those guys are seniors who have been around and played in big games," Smith said. "They are great leaders. They both have wheels and they both have good eyes (at the plate).

"They are the perfect two guys to have at the top of the lineup . . . That's our style. We're not going to sit back."

D'Alessandro was 1 for 3. He was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Micka's RBI single in the fifth.

Musilli was 1 for 4 but still managed to be in Triton's hair all game. He singled, stole second, advanced on an error and raced home on a double steal in the fourth.

Musilli reached on an error leading off the seventh. He stole second, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and raced home on another error when the Braves failed to execute a suicide squeeze - and still got a run out of it.

In all, Williamstown stole nine bases.

"They were very aggressive," Marciano said of Williamstown. "They did the little things better than us. They put a lot of pressure on us."

Williamstown 121 010 2 - 7 5 3

Triton 000 004 0 - 4 5 3

WP: Denny Bentley. LP: Mike Wade. 2B: T-Pat Ryder. HR: W-Jerry Powers.

panastasia@phillynews.com