Wayne, NJ – Stockton University (6-20, 3-11 NJAC) dropped both parts of a conference doubleheader at William Paterson (21-10, 8-5). The Ospreys stumbled 9-3 in the first game and then suffered a disheartening 9-8 loss in 12 innings in the second contest.
Garrhet Reedy (Tinton Falls/Monmouth) had three hits in each game and totaled five RBI on the day.
In the opener, Reedy went 3-4 with two RBI while
Joe Cashman (Bordentown/Bordentown) and
JJ Swentkowski (Egg Harbor Twp./EHT) contributed two hits apiece. Stockton took a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by
Mike DeSenzo (Pompton Plains/Pequannock) and Reedy in the third inning.
William Paterson pulled ahead 3-2 with three runs in the fifth frame and created some distance with five more in the seventh and one in the eighth. Reedy drove in
Tyler Hobbs (Brick/Brick Memorial) with a single in the ninth frame for his second RBI and Hobbs' second run of the game for the 9-3 final.
Starting pitcher
Ray Hughes (Forked River/Lacey Twp.) struck out eight in five innings pitched, allowing three runs on five hits, but left with his team trailing 3-2 and was saddled with the loss.
DeSenzo went 4-7 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI in the nightcap. Reedy was 3-6 with a double, run and three RBI while Cashman added three hits and a run. The Ospreys entered the bottom of the ninth with an 8-4 lead but surrendered four runs for an 8-8 tie and fell on a walk-off single in the 12th stanza.
Swentkowski singled in Reedy in the top of the first with the initial of 17 runs in the game. The Pioneers answered with two tallies in the bottom half before Stockton pulled ahead 3-2 on a two-run single by Reedy in the third inning that plated DeSenzo and Hobbs. WPU tied the game in the fifth frame and took a 4-3 edge in the seventh.
The Ospreys exploded for four runs on four hits and an error in the top of the eighth for a 7-4 lead. Hobbs drove in Cashman with an RBI double and then scored on an RBI single by DeSenzo. Two batters later, Reedy hit an RBI single that brought DeSenzo home.
Nick D'Arcy (Toms River/TR East) scored the final run of the inning on a throwing error.
DeSenzo knocked an RBI double in the top of the ninth to score
Jeff Schick (Marlton/Cherokee), who had extended his hitting streak to seven with a single in the inning. The 8-4 advantage was not enough as William Paterson rallied with four runs on three hits and three walks in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game 8-8 and force extra innings.
Stockton was held to just one hit and one walk in the three extra frames. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th, Francis Deane hit a walk-off single to deal the Ospreys the discouraging 9-8 defeat.
Stockton will be off until Thursday, when the Ospreys visit Rutgers-Newark for an NJAC game at 3:30 pm.
