STOCKTON OSPREYS UPDATE for the week of 5/13

Media Release

SOFTBALL TEAM WINS ECAC METRO CHAMPIONSHIP
(May 10) The top-seeded Stockton softball team won its two games on the first day of the ECAC Metro tournament and set a school record with 26 wins on the season. The Ospreys blanked Baruch 8-0 in six innings and pounded FDU-Florham 12-1 in five innings. Barb Kutch (Mt. Holly/Rancocas Valley) went a perfect 6-6 with four runs scored on the day. Both games were halted due to the eight-run rule. Stockton broke its previous mark of 25 wins in 2005.
Against Baruch, Kaitlyn Corica (Iselin/JFK) pitched a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and Kutch went 3-3 with a double and two runs. Samantha Horner (Newfield/Buena) was 3-4 with a triple, two runs and two RBI while Natalie Berrios (Vineland/Vineland) also was 2-4 with an RBI in the 8-0 win.
Horner tripled in two runs as part of a four-run second inning that gave Stockton a 4-0 lead. In the third frame, Jaime Heller (Fair Lawn/Fair Lawn) ripped an RBI double and Lindsay Connell (Rahway/Rahway) added an RBI single as Stockton increased its advantage to 6-0. The Ospreys scored in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Danielle Accardi (East Brunswick/Mt. St. Mary) and an RBI single by Suzanne Gorczynski (Aberdeen/St. John Vianney) to enact the eight-run rule.
Kutch went 3-3 with two runs and Accardi pitched a three-hitter with five strikeouts in the 12-1 win over FDU-Florham. Kelly Dodd (Linwood/Mainland) went 3-3 with a double, three RBI and three runs while Accardi was 2-3 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs. Stockton smacked 15 hits and scored in all four of its offensive turns in the game.
In the first inning, Accardi ripped an RBI double and Melissa Baumgartner (Mt. Ephraim/Audubon) added a two-run single as Stockton jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Accardi doubled in two more runs as part of a four-run second frame that resulted in a 7-0 advantage. Dodd ripped a two-run double to highlight a four-run third frame that made the score 11-0, and Stockton coasted to the 12-1 five-inning victory. With the win, Accardi tied the school record of 12 pitching victories in a season.
(May 11) First-seeded Stockton won the ECAC Metro championship with an 8-0 victory over second-seeded Farmingdale State in five innings (eight-run rule). Barb Kutch was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after going 7-8 (.875) with a double, four runs and an RBI in three games. Stockton won its first ECAC title since 1986 and finished the season with a school-record 27 wins.
Kelly Dodd went 2-3 with a double, triple and two RBI to lead the Ospreys over Farmingdale State. Natalie Berrios was 1-3 with two RBI and Kaitlyn Corica pitched a four-hit shutout with eight strikeouts. Corica tied the school record with her 12th pitching victory of the season.
Stockton took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double by Dodd and an RBI single by Kutch. One inning later, Corica helped her own cause with an RBI on a sacrifice fly and Berrios stroked a two-run single as the Ospreys increased their advantage to 5-0.
Stockton brought the eight-run rule into effect with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Dodd blasted an RBI triple and Suzanne Gorczynski smacked an RBI single two batters later. Melissa Baumgartner followed with a walk-off RBI triple that brought home the final run as Stockton won the ECAC Metro championship 8-0. Overall, the Ospreys went undefeated and outscored their opponents 28-1 on a three-game march to the ECAC crown.
(May 12) Barb Kutch was named the NJAC Player of the Week and Danielle Accardi was chosen the NJAC Rookie of the Week. Kutch batted .875 (7-8), scored four runs and reached base in eight of nine plate appearances during Stockton’s three ECAC tournament wins. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC Metro Championship. Accardi earned her second NJAC Rookie of the Week honor by batting .500 (3-6) with four runs, three doubles, three RBI and three walks during the ECAC Metro tournament.

UPCOMING EVENTS (Home games in CAPS) Thursday, May 15 Track & Field @ ECAC Championships (Springfield College (MA)) Friday, May 16 Track & Field @ ECAC Championships (Springfield College (MA)) Stockton Athletics Website