Game 1 / Game 2

Wayne, NJ – Stockton University (5-18, 2-6 NJAC) earned their first two conference wins of the season with a doubleheader sweep of William Paterson (15-14, 4-6) by scores of 3-2 and 8-0. The victories snapped a six-game losing skid by the Ospreys. Stockton rapped 27 hits on the day, led by Bryan Bessinger (Burlington Twp./Burlington Twp.) who went 7-9 at the plate.
 
Bessinger and Vaughn Champion (Galloway/Absegami) stroked three hits apiece in the opener. Starter Kevin Buell (Ocean Twp./Ocean Twp.) tossed 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, one of which was unearned, on five hits with two strikeouts for his first career win.
 
Stockton broke the scoreless tie with a run in the fourth inning as singles by Bessinger and Champion set the stage for an RBI single by Antonio Morello (Washington Twp./Washington Twp.) that got the Ospreys on the board. Champion rapped an RBI single in the fifth frame to make it 2-0 Stockton.
 
Bessinger led off the seventh inning with a double and moved to third on a single by Champion. Bryce DiPaola (Eastampton/Rancocas Valley) plated Bessinger with a squeeze bunt to boost the lead to 3-0. William Paterson closed the gap to 3-2 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh before Ryan Adamski (Deptford/Deptford) snuffed the rally try with 2.2 scoreless innings to earn a save in the 3-2 win.
 
Bessinger led a 17-hit attack by going 4-5 with an RBI in the nightcap. Matt Poinsett (Ocean Gate/Msgr. Donovan) and Dan Sweeney (Middletown/Middletown South) added three hits apiece. Mike Bergin (Middletown/Middletown South), who has pitched well all season, earned his first win of the year with a shutout. Bergin scattered seven hits and struck out eight in the complete game.
 
The Ospreys scored the only run that they would need and then added one more in the third inning. Poinsett brought DiPaola home with a sacrifice fly and Sweeney followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Stockton later broke the game open with three runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
In the fifth, Sweeney singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Matt Mangarella (Milltown/Spotswood). DiPaola was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI and Jake Voss (Brick/Brick Memorial) followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0 for the Ospreys.
 
Stockton loaded the bases again in the sixth frame and Bessinger drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI single. Champion walked with the bases still loaded for an RBI and then Struble delivered the final run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Bergin allowed just two hits in the last three innings to close out the 8-0 triumph.
 
Stockton will host Ramapo, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, in a doubleheader tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.