Galloway, N.J. – Stockton University (9-5) made its home opener a successful one as the Ospreys swept Neumann University (5-12) by scores of 8-0 in five innings and 11-6. Stockton totaled 23 hits in the sweep.
Samantha McErlane (Mt. Ephraim/Aubudon) was the winning pitcher in each game, tossing eight scoreless innings on the day. McErlane hurled a three-hit shutout with one strikeout and no walks in the opener. The righty retired the last nine batters that she faced.
Gracie Meyer (Pittsgrove/A.P. Schalick) went 3-3 with two RBI and a run.
Brianna Segnello (Mt. Olive/Mt. Olive) was 2-4 with a double, two RBI and a run while
Lilly James (Roseland/West Essex) went 2-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
The Ospreys jumped out early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. James and Meyer contributed RBI singles during the big inning.
Kayla Posten (Cherry Hill/CH West) rapped an RBI double and
Jenna Patterson (Mullica Hill/Clearview) notched an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Meyer singled and later scored on an RBI single by
Brittany Rifenburg (Spotswood/Spotswood) to make it 5-0 in the third frame. James led off the fourth inning with a double and then scored on an RBI single by Meyer for a 6-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the fifth, Segnello smacked a walk-off double that scored two runs and brought the eight-run rule into effect, ending the 8-0 Stockton triumph.
Patterson powered the offense in the nightcap as she went 4-4 with three doubles, four RBI and a run in the back-and-forth affair. James contributed two hits, three runs and an RBI while Segnello chipped in with two hits and two runs.
James keyed a three-run first inning with an RBI single, a stolen base and a run on a throwing error as Stockton built a 3-0 lead. After Neumann got on the board in the top of the third, the Ospreys responded with two runs in the bottom half as Patterson rapped an RBI double and later scored on a groundout to make it 5-1.
Neumann came right back with five runs, four of which were unearned, in the fourth stanza to pull ahead 6-5. The Ospreys regained the lead at 8-6 with a three-run fifth inning that was highlighted by RBI doubles from Patterson and
Charli Czaczkowski (Jackson/Jackson Memorial).
Stockton put the game away with three scores in the bottom of the sixth, two of which came on Patterson's third double of the game. McErlane pitched a scoreless seventh inning to seal the 11-6 victory and collect her second win of the day. McErlane came out of the bullpen and threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts and a walk.
Stockton will be home again on Thursday when the Ospreys host Arcadia University in a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m.
