Little Falls, NJ (4/18/10) – Senior rightfielder Scott Evangelist (Northfield, NJ / Holy Spirit) belted a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning as Montclair State gained a split of its New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader with a 7-6 victory over Richard Stockton at Yogi Berra Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Richard Stockton first baseman Mike Wasco (Riverside, NJ / Riverside) went 2-for-3 with a homer and three runs batted in as the Ospreys won the opener, 10-3.

Senior centerfielder Michael Boggi (Towaco, NJ / Montville) went 5-for-8 with four RBI as the Red Hawks are now 16-9 overall, 7-4 in the NJAC following the split. Wasco went 4-for-4 and an RBI in the second game as the Ospreys stand at 14-15 overall, 4-7 in the conference.

Evangelist’s homer, his second of the season came on the sixth pitch of the at bat against reliever Mark Crescenzi (Pedricktown, NJ / Pennsgrove). After getting ahead in the count 2-1, Evangelist ripped a ball down the right field line that appeared headed for a home run however the ball ducked foul at the last moment evening the count at 2-2. Taking a ball to run the count full, Evangelist blasted the next pitch over the right field wall for the game-winning home run.

The heroics were set up as Richard Stockton battled back from a pair of two-run deficits. Trailing 6-4, Stockton got a run in the seventh  as Chris Discher (Waretown, NJ / Southern) led off with a single and scored a Wasco laced a two-out double down the left field line trimming the MSU lead to one. Stockton tied the game the next inning taking advantage of an MSU miscue. Joe Farrell (Longport, NJ / Holy Spirit) doubled with one out and went to third a Jason Gordon (Brick, NJ / Brick Memorial) singled to left. Farrell originally stopped at third, but scampered home as the ball was misplayed tying the game at 6-6.

Freshman righthander Jake Campbell (Sayreville, NJ / Sayreville War) picked up the win in relief as he pitched 2.1 innings allowing an unearned run and two hits. Campbell is now 1-0 while Crescenzi fell to 2-1 with the loss.

Mickey McGraw (Morristown, NJ / Morristown) was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI while Boggi collected two hits and two runs batted in for Montclair. Evangelist went 2-for-5 at the plate. Gordon had three hits for Stockton with Matt Allen (Salem, NJ / Woodstown) and Nick Scalise (Northfield, NJ / Mainland) each went 2-for-4.

In the opener, Stockton scored three times in the seventh to take the lead and then blew the game open with a five-run ninth for the 10-3 victory.

Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Discher singled with one out and beat a throw to second on Chris Wedding’s (Toms River, NJ / Toms River East) ground ball to put runners at first and second. Wasco plated them both with a two-run double to give Stockton a 4-3 lead and Allen followed with an RBI ground out as the Ospreys led by two.

In the ninth, Wasco walked and Allen and Marc Asta (Jackson, NJ / Jackson Memorial) followed with hits to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Scalise executed a perfect squeeze play for a run and Gordon’s two-run single made the score 8-3. Discher drove in a run with a base hit and Barry Larro (Cedarville, NJ / Cumberland) added an RBI single to complete the Stockton scoring.

Sophomore righthander Chris LaVoie (Manahawkin, NJ / Manahawkin) earned the win as he went the first six innings allowing three runs and five hits, striking out one and walking three LaVoie is now 4-0. John Lightbody (Toms River, NJ / Toms River East) earned his first save of the season as she recorded the final six outs, while also pitching out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the eighth. Lefthander John Masklee (Totowa, NJ / Seton Hall Prep) took the loss to fall to 3-3.

Boggi was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI for Montclair State with Evangelist collecting two hits. Allen was 3-for-6 for Stockton while Discher, Larry, Wasco and Gordon (two RBI) all had two hits.

Montclair State returns to action on Tuesday, April 20 as they go under the lights at Yogi Berra Stadium for a 7:00 pm contest with No. 3/4 Johns Hopkins. Richard Stockton is off until Friday, April 23 when the Ospreys begin a five-game homestand versus The College of New Jersey at 3:30 pm.