GALLOWAY, NJ – Rutgers-Newark juniors Monica Liotto and Monica Bagan hit safely in each game, but Richard Stockton rode strong pitching to an 8-0 and 10-5 New Jersey Athletic Conference sweep.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Richard Stockton 8, Rutgers-Newark 0
Richard Stockton 10, Rutgers-Newark 5

The Scarlet Raiders (16-23, NJAC 3-15) capped a season in which they won five more games than they did in 2011 while posting NJAC wins over William Paterson, Ramapo College and Rutgers-Camden in the same season for the first time.

IN GAME ONE, back-to-back singles in the fourth inning by Liotto and Bagan were the only hits that Richard Stockton senior pitcher Jamie Gasko allowed.

Sophomore right-hander Brianna Alicchio (10-8) took the loss, allowing a dozen hits while striking out one against no walks.

IN GAME TWO, Liotto and Bagan had two hits apiece to lead the Raiders' 7-hit attack.  Stockton sophomore starter Michelle Pietrocola (11-5) limited the Raiders to one run on two hits while striking out five and walking three in 5-1/3 innings. 

Liotto singled home catcher AJ Affholter with two away in the third for the only run against Pietrocola, while Stockton was getting to Raider starter Liane Drastal (6-15) for 10 runs on a dozen hits in the opening three innings.

But Drastal settled down to blank the Ospreys the rest of the way and Raiders found some offense.

When the Ospreys (25-13, NJAC 6-12) went to their bullpen in the fourth inning, the Rutgers-Newark bats came alive.  The Raiders scored on a wild pitch and an RBI grounder to second base by Affholter to register two runs on just one hit while taking advantage of two errors.

In the fifth inning, Rutgers-Newark loaded the bases on singles by Liotto, Bagan and junior leftfielder Nicole Odell.  With two outs, freshman rightfielder Bianca Arroyo ripped a 2-run single down the leftfield line.  Pietrocola, who was pulled for Michelle Corica to start the fourth, reentered to put down the insurrection.

The Raider carried no seniors on the 2012 squad, buoying hopes of head coach Patty Clarke for continued improvement in 2013.