Pomona, NJ (4/13/09) – Montclair State (17-10, 5-4) scored three runs in the top of the eighth and edged Richard Stockton (19-8, 4-5) 6-4 in eight innings in the first game of today's NJAC doubleheader. The second game was stopped due to darkness after just 2.1 innings and will be re-played from the beginning at a later date.
KELLY KARP (Edison/Edison) was 2-5 with a double and an RBI while
MEGAN DURKIN (West Orange/West Orange) went 2-4 with an RBI for Montclair State. Karp also was the winning pitcher, allowing no earned runs (three unearned) on six hits with 11 strikeouts in seven-plus innings. For Stockton, Joey Afflitto (Brick/Brick) went 2-4 with a double and a run while Samantha Horner (Newfield/ Buena) was 2-4 with an RBI.
Montclair took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI triple by
LESLIE GONZALEZ (North Bergen/North Bergen) and an RBI single by Durkin.
SHANNON MOZEK (Wayne/Wayne Valley) stroked an RBI single in the third frame to give the Red Hawks a 3-0 lead.
Stockton rallied with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 3-3 tie. Afflitto and Laura Dubell (Piscataway/Piscataway) singled and both scored on an error. Kelly Dodd (Linwood/ Mainland) delivered the game-tying run with sacrifice fly.
In the top of the eighth, Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch, Karp ripped an RBI double and the Red Hawks added a third run on a fielder's choice for a 6-3 lead. In the bottom half, Horner singled in a run to pull Stockton within 6-4 and the game ended in controversy.
Lindsay Connell (Rahway/Rahway) singled with two outs but was incorrectly called out for having substituted illegally, seemingly the final out of the game. The umpires then left the field before realizing the mistake. They attempted to resume the game, but the NCAA rules state that a game is complete once the umpires leave the field, therefore Montclair State prevailed 6-4.
Stockton will play an NJAC doubleheader at Rowan tomorrow at 3 pm while Montclair State will host William Paterson in an NJAC twinbill tomorrow at 3 pm.
