Galloway, N.J. – Stockton University (5-0) broke open a close game with eight runs in the fifth inning and rolled to a 12-2 triumph over Wesley College (2-7) for its fifth straight win to open the season.
John Perrino (Wall/Wall) led a 12-hit attack with three safeties for the Ospreys.
Perrino finished with one run and one RBI in the game.
Jay Marchese (East Brunswick/East Brunswick) went 2-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI while
Garrett DeMarrais (Oradell/River Dell) contributed two hits, a run and an RBI.
Wesley scored once in the top of the first for an early 1-0 edge that lasted until the bottom of the second. Marchese doubled home
Rico Viani (Monroe Twp./Monroe Twp.) with the tying run and then scored the go-ahead tally on an infield hit by DeMarrais to put Stockton on top 2-1. The Wolverines came right back with a run in the top of the third for a 2-2 deadlock.
The Ospreys took the lead for good at 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by
Evan Geisler (Lodi/Lodi) in the bottom of the third. Stockton later pulled away from Wesley with eight runs on six hits in the fifth frame. With the bases loaded, Viani singled in two runs to make it 5-2.
Ryan Mihlebach (Clarksboro/GCIT) added a two-run single for a 7-2 count.
Stockton loaded the bases again and
Ryan O'Sullivan (Lacey Twp./Donovan Catholic) cleared them with a double down the left field line that produced three RBI. Perrino capped the huge inning with a sacrifice fly for an insurmountable 11-2 advantage. Geisler later added an RBI single in the eighth inning to finish the scoring in the 12-2 victory.
Freshman
Aaron Winsker (Baltimore, Md./Hereford) made an impressive college debut, allowing just two runs on three hits with four strikeouts in six innings of work to earn his first career victory. Winsker retired the final 10 batters that he faced.
Relievers
Andrew Luongo (Manahawkin/Southern Regional),
Brandon Drapeau (Sparta/Sparta) and
Jeremy Ruka (Cranford/Cranford) each tossed one scoreless inning. Ruka, a freshman, made his first college appearance. Overall, the four Stockton pitchers limited Wesley to just five hits on the day.
Jordan Marucci went 2-4 with a double and two RBI for Wesley. Dustin Sutton contributed two hits, two runs and two stolen bases for the Wolverines.
Stockton will play its first road game of the season tomorrow when the Ospreys visit Stevens for a contest that begins at 5 p.m.
