Newark, N.J. – Stockton University (13-11, 2-6) split a conference doubleheader at Rutgers-Newark (9-10, 4-4). The Ospreys let an early 4-0 lead slip away in a back-and-forth opener that they dropped 9-8. In the nightcap, Stockton built a six-run lead and held on for a 9-7 win to salvage the split.
Jenna Patterson (Mullica Hill/Clearview) led the Ospreys with six hits on the day, three in each game.
Vanessa Tancini (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) went 2-3 with three runs, two stolen bases and an RBI in the first game.
Lilly James (Roseland/West Essex) was 2-4 with a triple, RBI and a run.
Stockton broke out to a 4-0 lead but Rutgers-Newark rallied with five consecutive runs to pull ahead 5-4. An RBI triple by James in the top of the sixth tied it 5-5 but the Scarlet Raiders answered with a run for a 6-5 edge.
The Ospreys then scored three runs in the top of the seventh for an 8-6 lead, however Rutgers-Newark rallied with three runs in the bottom half to down the Ospreys 9-8 on a walkoff wild pitch.
Patterson went 3-4 with a triple, three RBI and two runs in the second game.
Gracie Meyer (Pittsgrove/A.P. Schalick) also rapped three hits and added one run and one RBI. Patterson and Meyer combined for six of Stockton's nine hits.
In the top of the first, an RBI triple by Patterson and RBI single by Meyer that scored Patterson gave Stockton a 2-0 lead. The Scarlet Raiders got one back in the bottom half. Patterson stroked an RBI single in the third frame and
Nerina Tramp (Blackwood/Highland) drove in three runs with a hit for a 6-1 advantage.
Leading 6-3, the Ospreys tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh. Patterson contributed another RBI hit in the inning. Rutgers-Newark tried to rally with four runs in the bottom of the seventh and got the tying run to the plate before Tramp induced a groundout to close the 9-7 victory.
Tramp pitched a complete game, allowing seven runs, one of which was unearned, on six hits with five strikeouts to earn the win on the mound.
Stockton will play a non-conference doubleheader at Cabrini on Thursday at 2 p.m.