Game 1 /
Game 2
Galloway, NJ – Stockton University (22-8, 6-4 NJAC) concluded a busy stretch of three doubleheaders in four days by splitting an NJAC twinbill with #14 Rowan University (25-7, 8-2). The Ospreys dropped the opener 8-3 but rebounded to win the nightcap 3-2 in nine innings on a walk-off single by
Victoria Conklin (Randolph/Randolph).
Dominique Dorris (Mantua/Clearview) led Stockton with two hits in each game to extend her hitting streak to seven and
Chelsea Thomas (Barrington/Haddon Hts.) pushed her hit streak to nine with one base knock in each game.
Dorris went 2-3 with an RBI while
Holly Arentowicz (Roxbury/Roxbury) was 2-2 with a run in opener. The Ospreys fell behind early as Rowan scored three times in the top of the first. The Profs added four runs in the top of the second, highlighted by a three-run homer to right center by Morgan Smith that made it 7-0.
Stockton got on the board in the fourth inning as Arentowicz singled and later scored on an RBI single by
Alexa Massa (Moorestown/Moorestown). Rowan responded with a run in the top of the fifth for an 8-1 count. In the sixth frame, Dorris stroked an RBI single and Massa earned her second RBI of the game with a squeeze bunt but the Ospreys could get no closer and fell 8-3.
Dorris,
Danielle Lugo (Vineland/Vineland),
Samantha Shockey (Deptford/Deptford) and
Gianna Cuffari (Cedar Grove/Cedar Grove) each knocked two hits in the nightcap. Shockey earned her 10th win of the season, allowing two runs on five hits and eight walks while pitching all nine innings.
Rowan took the early lead with two runs on three hits and three walks in the second inning. Shockey was able to minimize the damage by inducing a groundout with the bases loaded that ended the inning. No more runs were scored until the bottom of the seventh.
Down to their last chance, the Ospreys tied the game with two runs.
Nicole Tomo (Cedar Grove/Cedar Grove) led off with a triple to the right field corner and scored on a bunt single by Cuffari. One-out singles by Lugo and Shockey moved Cuffari to third and loaded the bases before Stockton tied the game with some nifty baserunning.
Dorris hit a grounder back to the mound and the throw home erased Cuffari on a force out. Catcher Alyssa Sims then threw to first in an attempt to complete a double play and Lugo dashed home from third with the tying run.
Neither team converted in the eighth inning despite advancing a runner to third with one out after the tiebreaker went into effect. Shockey retired three straight Rowan batters in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Tomo started the inning on second base due to the tiebreaker and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cuffari. Conklin then came off the bench as a pinch hitter and sliced a walk-off single down the right field line to score Tomo with the winning run in the dramatic 3-2 triumph for the Ospreys.
Stockton will be back in action on Tuesday for an NJAC doubleheader at The College of New Jersey at 3 p.m.
