Box score

Ewing, NJ...The College of New Jersey softball team dropped a 2-1 decision to Richard Stockton College in the opening round of the 2010 New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament.

Despite outhitting the Ospreys eight to three and stringing together a seventh inning rally, the Lions (30-7) fell short and will now seek to claim the NJAC title out of the loser's bracket returning to play at Lions Park on Friday, May 7 at 11 a.m. against Ramapo College.

Richard Stockton (22-13) put up a pair of runs in the third inning and made it stand as sophomore Jaime Gasko (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) worked in out and out of trouble to notch her 13th win of the season. Sophomore Joey Afflito (Brick, NJ/Brick) hit an RBI triple and later came home on an error to give the Ospreys all the runs they would need.

TCNJ's offense was knocking on the door all game. They loaded the bases in the first inning, but Gasko was able to induce a ground out and strikeout to escape the jam. The Lions had a runner on in the second, two in the third, and two in the fifth and sixth, but failed to capitalize. Several balls were hit on the nose, but right at well-positioned defenders.

The Lions finally broke through in the seventh when junior Colleen Cawley (Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) lined a single to left to lead off the inning. Sophomore Sara Owen (Howell, NJ/Howell) pinch-ran and advanced to third on a passed ball. After a lineout to center field, freshman Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) singled to center to score Owen and make it a 2-1 game.

Freshman Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) then ripped a base hit through the middle to put runners and first and second. But Gasko got a fly out to right and ground out to secure the complete game victory.

Senior Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) pitched well in defeat giving up just three hits, walking none, and striking out three over seven innings. Sogluizzo was a perfect 3-for-3 and Hommen had two hits in their first post-season game.

Stockton will play Friday at 1 p.m. against the loser of the game between William Paterson University and Rowan University.