Stockton College Softball Team Starts Season 10-0

There’s almost no way a trip to Florida could’ve played out any better for the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey softball team.

The Ospreys went undefeated in the sunshine state, including a no-hitter, five shutouts, seven games in which they scored six or more runs and one victory in extra innings.

As a result, the Ospreys opened the 2013 campaign 10-0.

It all began with Michelle Pietrocola’s no-hitter in a 7-0 victory over Bridgewater State. She fanned 10 batters, and was one walk away from a perfect game. It was the second no-hitter of her career, according to statistics posted on stocktonathletics.com.

Nicole Scanlon was 2-for-2 with two RBI and two walks, and Stephanie Darrow, Danielle Kohen and Stephanie Hand each contributed an RBI in the win.

The Ospreys followed that victory with a 6-0 win over Albright behind the pitching of Brittany Kslezopolski, who struck out six batters and allowed six hits.

North Park University offered the Ospreys their toughest fight of the trip, taking Stockton to extra innings before falling 3-2. Jessica Goncalves was 3-for-4 with the winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth. Kslezopolski pitched the first seven innings, but Pietrocola picked up the win by throwing the final two frames, striking out three without giving up a hit.

The Ospreys outscored their next two opponents, 18-1. It started with a 9-1 win over St. Mary’s. Pietrocola picked up the win with three shutout innings. Goncalves had three hits, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Scanlon was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Heather Corica was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Up next was a 9-0 win over Elms College behind four shutout innings from Kslezopolski, who struck out seven batters. Nicole Chabak was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, and Grace Long was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs.

The offense was slowed a bit in its next game, and the Ospreys needed two runs in the bottom of the seventh to score a 4-3 win over previously undefeated College of Wooster. Rachel Forte provided the game-winning hit, a two-run single, after Wooster had seized a 3-2 lead in the top of the frame. Pietrocola picked up the win.

The Ospreys then scored a pair of 6-1 victories, over Curry College and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Kslezopolski struck out 12 batters in the win over Curry.

Forte was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Scanlon was 2-for-4 with an RBI against Curry.

Chabak and Justine Reed each went 2-for-3 with a run in the win over Bradford, and Pietrocola struck out seven to pick up the victory.

Long had a double and scored the only run in the Ospreys’ next game, a 1-0 win over NYU-Poly. Pietrocola struck out 15 batters, one short of her career-high.

The Ospreys capped the trip with a 6-0 win over Franklin and Marshall. Kslezopolski struck out nine batters in the win. Goncalves had three hits, two stolen bases and two RBI in the win over Franklin and Marshall.

The Ospreys return home to New Jersey with a visit to Drew University for a double header on Thursday, March 21. The home opener is Saturday, March 23 against Hunter College, a double header that begins at 1 p.m.