Montclair State box / William Paterson box

Union, NJ – No. 5 seed Stockton University (23-19-1) stayed alive in the NJAC tournament by winning two elimination games today, both by one run. The Ospreys edged No. 6 seed Montclair State (22-18) 3-2 and then nipped William Paterson (28-11), ranked 24th in the nation, 1-0.
 
Alexandra Cosenzo (East Hanover/Hanover Park) and Alexa Massa (Moorestown/Moorestown) each had three hits against Montclair State. Cosenzo also drove in the eventual winning run for the Ospreys.
 
Casey Schieda (Monroe Twp./Monroe Twp.) gave Stockton a 1-0 lead with her second home run of the season, a solo shot with two outs in the top of the second. Ali Walek answered with a two-run blast in the bottom half that propelled the Red Hawks in front 2-1.
 
Stockton tied the game 2-2 in the fourth frame. Pinch-hitter Maggie Klatt (Middletown/Mater Dei) came through with a two-out infield single that scored Danielle Lugo (Vineland/Vineland) who had singled earlier in the inning to extend her hitting streak to seven.
 
The score remained tied as the teams each left a runner on base in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the top of the seventh, Massa singled with one out and Holly Arentowicz (Roxbury/Roxbury) was hit by a pitch to put two runners aboard. Cosenzo followed with an RBI single that scored pinch-runner Daniela Marinaro (Cedar Grove/Cedar Grove) with the go-ahead run at 3-2.
 
Hannah Bibeault (Hopatcong/Hopatcong) retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before allowing an infield single. She then induced a popup to short that ended the game as the Ospreys stayed alive in the tournament with the 3-2 triumph.
 
Bibeault earned her 12th win of the year by tossing 5.1 innings of scoreless relief out of the bullpen. She held Montclair State to just two hits and one walk while also striking out one.
 
Victoria Torp (West Milford/West Milford) scattered seven hits, walked two and fanned two to post her fourth shutout of the season in the win over William Paterson. Five Ospreys registered one hit apiece, including Lugo who extended her hitting streak to eight.
 
Stockton went without a hit until the fourth inning when Arentowicz singled with one out. She later was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a single by Ashley Lobell (Cedar Knolls/Whippany Park). William Paterson stranded two runners apiece in the second, third and fifth frames plus one in the fourth as Torp held off the Pioneers.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Chelsea Thomas (Barrington/Haddon Hts.) singled with two outs and then stole second to improve to 27-27 on steal attempts this season. Carli Shaw (Bordentown/Bordentown) then followed with a clutch RBI single that scored Thomas with the eventual winning run.
 
Torp stranded two more William Paterson runners in the top of the sixth and later retired the Pioneers in order in the seventh to close out the 1-0 shutout.
 
Stockton, #13 Ramapo and Kean are the three remaining teams in the NJAC tournament, which is being played at Kean. Stockton will face Ramapo in an elimination game tomorrow at 10 a.m., with the winner moving on to face Kean.