Galloway, NJ – Stockton University (13-6, 3-2 NJAC) rebounded from a loss on Thursday with a resounding doubleheader sweep over Montclair State (10-11, 1-4 NJAC) on Saturday afternoon. The scores were 4-3 in 11 innings in game one, followed by an 8-3 decision in the nightcap.
Freshman
Brendan Doherty (Middletown/Middletown North) smashed five hits on the day to lead the Ospreys. The sweep was the first NJAC twin killing for Stockton since April of 2016 over William Paterson.
Stockton took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one as Doherty bunted his way on, then
Joe Pipher (Brick/Brick Memorial) scored him with a triple. The Red Hawks answered with three runs to take the lead in the top of the second frame. A triple and error scored one run, and a homer by Christopher Walker made it 2-1. Another double and RBI single pushed the margin to 3-1.
From there, Osprey starter
Ray Hughes (Forked River/Lacey Twp.) settled down and allowed just two hits over the next four innings to keep Stockton in the game. They made it pay off by plating two runs to knot the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth stanza.
With two outs,
John Perrino (Wall/Wall) singled and stole second. He scored on an
Austin Gonella (Beachwood/Toms River South) single. Gonnella then came around when
Andrew Slinger (Tinton Falls/Monmouth) doubled for the 3-3 tie after six innings. Neither team could push across another run, sending the game to extra frames.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, Perrino again walked and pilfered his second bag of the day. Slinger then ended the game with an RBI single and Stockton came away with the 4-3 win.
Game two was all Stockton as they plated eight runs and gave freshman starter
Sean O'Rourke (Little Egg Harbor/Pinelands) his first career victory on the hill. O'Rourke allowed an early run, but the Ospreys answered with a three spot in the bottom of the first inning on RBI by Pipher, Perrino and a Red Hawk error for a 3-1 lead.
Mike DeSenzo (Pompton Plains/Pequannock) walked and came around to score on an error to stretch the lead to 4-1 after four frames. Montclair would slice the lead to 4-3 in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly and RBI single.
The Ospreys stretched the lead back out to three in their half of the seventh.
Anthony Napoli (Erial/Timber Creek) walked, scored on a
JJ Swentkowski (Egg Harbor Twp./EHT) triple. Pipher lifted a sacrifice fly to score Swentkowski for the 6-3 advantage after seven frames.
O'Rourke ran into trouble in the eighth inning and was relived by
Tyler Apt (Williamstown/Williamstown). Apt was able to pitch of a two-out, bases loaded jam and keep the game at 6-3. Stockton tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning and Apt closed the door in the ninth, preserving O'Rourke's first career win. The rookie threw 7.1 innings, scattering eight hits and striking out four batters in the win.
Apt tossed four scoreless innings for the win in relief of Hughes in the first game and earned his fourth save of the year in the nightcap with another 1.1 innings. He allowed just four hits in his 5.1 innings of work on the day. Perrino backed up Doherty with four hits with Slinger and Pipher driving in two runs each.
Nick Martinez led the Red Hawks with four hits on the afternoon.
Stockton will take on Kean University tomorrow for the Ospreys next game. The game is a make-up from Friday's rainout and is scheduled for 11:30am.
