Game 1 / Game 2

Union, NJ – Stockton University (12-13, 4-9) halted a six-game losing streak by upsetting #5 Kean University (26-8, 10-4) 7-5 in the first game of an NJAC doubleheader. The Cougars responded by defeating the Ospreys 18-4 in the nightcap. Brett Solomen (Harrison Twp./Clearview) extended his hitting streak to 12 games with four hits on the day. Solomen and George Eisenhart (Harrison Twp./Clearview) also extended their reached-base streaks to 25 games apiece.
 
Solomen went 3-5 with a run and an RBI in the first game. Keith Tappert (Toms River/TR East) went 2-4 with two RBI and a run while Dan Sweeney (Middletown/Middletown South), Andy Oliver (Penns Grove/Penns Grove) and Bryce DiPaola (Eastampton/Rancocas Valley) added two hits apiece.
 
Stockton took a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by DiPaola and Matt Mangarella (Milltown/Spotswood) in the second inning. Kean surged ahead 3-2 with three runs on five hits in the fourth frame but the Ospreys were undaunted. They answered with five runs on six hits in the top of the fifth. Solomen and Eisenhart plated the first two tallies with RBI singles and Tappert singled in two more runs. Mark Jankowski (Sewell/Washington Twp.) capped the outburst with a sacrifice fly to give the Ospreys a 7-3 lead.
 
Kean scored one run apiece in the eighth and ninth innings before the Ospreys closed out the 7-5 triumph that snapped a six-game losing streak. Mike Bergin (Middletown/Middletown South) held the Cougars to three runs on seven hits in six innings pitched for the win. Blaze Gaspari (Cherry Hill/CH East) came on in the ninth inning and induced the final three outs without allowing a run or hit for the save.
 
The Ospreys could not sustain the momentum into game two as Kean exploded for 18 runs on 24 hits. For Stockton, Mangarella went 2-4 with a double and two RBI while Eisenhart was 2-4 with a run scored. Sweeney walked twice and scored two runs in the game.
 
Stockton took the early lead with three runs in the top of the first. Jankowski brought Sweeney home with an infield hit and Mangarella followed with a two-run single. Kean came right back with five runs in the bottom half before the Ospreys got within 5-4 in the top of the second. Sweeney walked and later scored on an RBI single by Solomen.  Kean took over from there, scoring once in the bottom of the second and breaking the game open with eight runs in the third on the way to the 18-4 final.
 
Stockton will play its fourth straight game against a ranked opponent tomorrow when the Ospreys host #28 Rowan in a makeup game at 2 pm.