Game #1 Box / Game #2 Box

Little Falls, NJ (4/17/10) –  Sophomore righthander  Jamie Gasko (Cinnaminson, NJ / Cinnaminson)   earned the win in the first game while freshman Brittany Giacomelli  (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) provided key relief in the second game as Richard Stockton swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from Montclair State at the MSU Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Ospreys (, NJAC) took the opener 6-3 before coming back for a 6-5 win in the nightcap. MSU falls to 14-12 overall with the two losses, 4-6 in the league.

Senior Megan Durkin (West Orange, NJ / West Orange) and sophomore Shannon Mozek (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Valley) had two RBI apiece for Montclair State.

In the opener, Jamie Gasko (Cinnaminson, NJ / Cinnaminson) scattered seven hits and allowed three unearned runs as she remained unbeaten at 7-0 this season. Gasko struck out four and walked two. Senior righthander Elia Persico (Marlton, NJ / Cherokee) took the loss falling to 7-7.

Montclair State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Tori Ferrante (Edison, NJ / JP Stevens) singled to open the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice by Mozek. After a second out, Kelly Nance (Marlboro, NJ / Marlboro) hit a ground ball that was misplayed allowing Ferrante to score with the game’s first run.

The Ospreys got the run back in the top of the second.  Brooke Shetter (Atco, NJ / Hammonton) walked and Laura Dubell (Piscataway, NJ / Piscataway) singled to put runners at first and second. A sacrifice moved both runners up and Shetter scored as Joey Afflitto (Brick, NJ / Brick) lofted a sacrifice fly to right field.  Richard Stockton added to the lead the following inning with two runs to take at 3-1 advantage. Katelyn Derewecki (Hillsborough, NJ / Hillsborough) doubled home Jessica Sneddon (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) with one out and Shetter followed with an RBI single.

The Stockton lead grew to 5-1 in the fourth on an RBI double by Stephanie Darrow (Marlton, NJ / Cherokee) and a sacrifice fly by Kelly Dodd (Linwood, NJ / Mainland) however Montclair would trim the lead back to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning. Loading the bases with one out, Heather Bergman (Berkeley Heights, NJ / Gov. Livingston) grounded into a fielder’s choice that would have been a force out a home. However the ball was thrown away allowing Nance and Leslie Gonzalez (North Bergen, NJ / North Bergen) to both score as MSU closed the deficit to two runs.

But that would be as close as Stockton would get as they added a run in the top of the seventh on a Derewecki RBI single.  The Red Hawks would put two on in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and brought the tying run to the plate, but Gasko got a ground out to end the contest.

Darrow, Derewecki and Shetter had two hits apiece for the Ospreys while Nance was 2-for-4 for Montclair State.

Giacomelli helped the Ospreys complete the sweep in the second game as she allowed just one hit while going the final 3 2/3 innings. Improving to 5-1 on the year, she struck out two and walked one. Freshman Jamie Miller (Spotswood, NJ / St. John Vianney) suffered the loss falling to 7-4.

Afflitto gave the Ospreys a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as she blasted a homer to lead off the contest. Montclair State would answer in the second with three runs as Bergman drove in one with a single and Mozek added two more on a double for a 3-1 MSU lead.

Afflitto’s RBI single in the second trimmed the lead back to a run and Stockton took the lead in the third scoring three times highlighted by Dodd’s two-run homer making the score 5-3.  The Red Hawks tied the game in the fourth on Durkin’s two-run single however Giacomelli came on and retired the next two hitters to keep the game tied.

The Ospreys would push across the eventual go-ahead run in their half of the inning. Danielle Accardi (East Brunswick, NJ / Mount St. Mary) reached on fielder’s choice with two outs and went to second on an error. Sneddon then singled to left field scoring Accardi giving Stockton a 6-5 lead.  

Afflitto, Darrow and Dodd all had two hits for Stockton with Mozek and Gonzalez collect two apiece for the Red Hawks.

Both teams return to action on Tuesday with NJAC doubleheaders. Montclair State makes the short nine-mile journey to Wayne, NJ to face William Paterson while Richard Stockton is back home in Pomona to face Rowan University. Both twinbills begin at 3:00 pm.