STOCKTON OUSTED FROM ECAC TOURNAMENT

Katelyn Derewecki

St. Joseph's-LI box / Sage box

Top-seeded Richard Stockton (25-15) was eliminated from the ECAC Metro tournament after two defeats, 2-1 to No. 5 St. Joseph’s-Long Island (22-18) and 5-1 to No. 2 Sage College (NY) (27-16). The Ospreys scored just two runs and left 19 runners on base in a frustrating day at the plate.

In the first game, St. Joseph’s-LI scored in the first inning on a walk, wild pitch and an error to take a 1-0 lead. The Golden Eagles struck again in the top of the third on a single, walk, error and another single to stretch the lead to 2-0.

Stockton came right back to cut the lead in half when Katelyn Derewecki (Hillsborough/Hillsborough) singled, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored as Grace Long (Egg Harbor Twp./EHT) ripped an RBI single to make it a 2-1 game.

Brittany Ksiezopolski (Hillsborough/Hillsborough) came on in relief in the sixth inning and worked out of a bases-loaded jam by retiring three straight batters to keep the Ospreys within one.

Stockton had two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh but could not push across the tying run and fell 2-1. Derewecki went 3-4 with a run scored while Long was 2-3 with a double and an RBI.

Stockton and Sage began their game by exchanging runs in the first inning. The Gators scored on a Stockton throwing error in the top half. Jamie Gasko (Cinnaminson/ Cinnaminson) then singled, stole second and scored on an RBI hit by Derewecki to pull the Ospreys into a 1-1 tie.

Hillary Faas snapped the 1-1 deadlock with a solo home run in the sixth inning that gave Sage the lead for good. Meghan Welcome slugged a solo homer in the seventh frame. After a Stockton error with two outs extended the inning, Rachel Smith hit a two-run blast for two unearned runs that made it 5-1.

Stockton loaded the bases in its last chance on a leadoff triple by Joey Afflitto (Brick/ Brick) followed by a Gasko single and a walk to Derewecki but the Ospreys failed to capitalize and suffered the season-ending 5-1 defeat. Afflitto, Gasko and Jessica Goncalves (Union/Union) finished with two hits apiece for Stockton.