Galloway, NJ – Stockton University (23-15, 10-8 NJAC) needed to win two games against Rutgers Newark (21-14, 7-9 NJAC) to clinch an NJAC playoff berth, and came away with 8-3 and 7-3 victories on Saturday afternoon. It is the third straight season the Ospreys have qualified for the NJAC Playoffs under Coach Mavreen Hering.
 
Meg Murzello (Maple Shade/Holy Cross) led the 25-hit attack on the day with six hits, while Casey Schieda (Monroe Twp. /Monroe Twp.) had four safeties, including her fifth homer of the year. Alexandra Cosenzo (East Hanover/Hanover Park) drove in two runs to break her own RBI record she set last season.
 
Stockton began the day scoring a pair of unearned runs in the first contest for a 2-0 lead. That vanished on a two-run homer by Angela Haines in the fifth inning to knot three game at 2-2. Alexa Massa (Moorestown/Moorestown) broke the tie with a squeeze bunt for a short-lived 3-2 advantage in the fifth, but the Scarlet Raiders tied it up again the next frame.
 
The Ospreys took control of the contest plating five markers in their half of the sixth for an 8-3 margin. Murzello, Chelsea Thomas (Barrington/Haddon Heights), Cosenzo, Massa and Megan Katzmar (Cinnaminson/Holy Cross) picked up RBI in the inning.
 
Hannah Bibeault (Hopatcong/Hopatcong) then shut the door for her 13th win of the season. The senior struck out seven hitters on the day, tossing her seventh complete game of the year.
 
The Ospreys fell behind 2-0 in the beginning of game two on a Julie Contravo two-run blast for a 2-0 lead. Schieda quickly knotted the game at 2-2 after one inning, with a two-run double. After Newark took another one-run lead at 3-2, Stockton batted around in the fourth inning, scoring four times for a 6-3 margin. Katzmar drove in two of the four runs in the frame.
 
Schieda put an exclamation mark on the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, with her fifth home run of the season and ninth of her career for the 7-3 lead. Victoria Torp (West Milford/West Milford) held the Raiders off the board the final two innings for her third win of the season. The senior tossed a seven strikeout, complete game in earning her third win of the season.
 
The Ospreys will begin the NJAC Tournament on Tuesday May 1 at an opponent to be determined.