Stockton Pitchers Continue Strong Season Despite Team's First Loss

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey softball team has used a lethal 1-2 pitching combination to start the season strong.

Both Michelle Pietrocola and Brittany Ksiezopolski have each pitched a no-hitter this year, and the Ospreys have pitched seven shutouts, with three more games where the opposition was limited to one run.

Outside of two innings on Thursday, March 28, it was more of the same.

Despite the Ospreys dropping their first game of the season to St. Joseph’s College of Long Island, Ksiezopolski pitched brilliantly, striking out 10 batters and allowing four hits. She kept the Golden Eagles off the board until the final frame, when an unlikely two-run homer put the brakes on Stockton’s unbeaten campaign.

After a 20-minute break, the Ospreys suffered a real scare, when Pietrocola unexpectedly collapsed after throwing the first pitch of the game. She recovered quickly and pitched 6 2/3 innings.

Pietrocola has a long stride when she throws the ball, and her weight couldn’t catch up momentarily, resulting in a situation that looked a lot worse than it was.

She didn’t finish the game, and she didn’t get the win, but she struck out nine batters. A pair of two-run homers in the fifth put the Ospreys in a hole they were able to climb out of.

“Ever since the beginning of the season, we just don’t give up,” Pietrocola said. “We’ve been in tight situations before. We’re doing well this season, but we haven’t had to come back until now. It’s good to know that we can. It’s worth more than a blowout.”

It’s good for the Ospreys to know heading into a double header Saturday afternoon, March 30, against top-ranked Montclair State in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) season opener. It also put the rest of the conference on notice as to what Stockton is capable of beyond its powerful pitching.

“Pitching has been the backbone of the team,” Stockton coach Val Julien said.

“Me and Brittany splitting games is something new this year,” Pietrocola said. “We have opposite styles and teams have to adjust. We’re the perfect balance for each other.”

Last year, five pitchers split time, with Pietrocola appearing in 19 games, starting 18 of them, followed by Jamie Gasko, who had 14 appearances, all as the starting pitcher. Kslezopolski made 12 appearances with seven starts.

The Ospreys were 25-5 last year.

The two-headed pitcher has done its job this season.

Pietrocola has 66 strikeouts and has given up 25 hits with a 1.16 earned run average (ERA) this season. She opened the season with a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over Bridgewater State.

Ksiezopolski has 61 strikeouts and has given up 29 hits, with an ERA of .48. Her no-hitter came when the Ospreys returned from Florida, in a 15-0 win over Hunter College.

Hand is the only other pitcher on the staff. She picked up the win in the second game of the doubleheader against St. Joseph’s.