Camden, N.J. – Stockton University (21-15, 8-8 NJAC) split a conference doubleheader at Rutgers-Camden (7-16, 4-10 NJAC). The Ospreys won the opener 9-2 but dropped a frustrating nightcap 7-5 despite 13 hits.
Vanessa Tancini (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) and
Megan Dignam (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) led the offense with three hits apiece in the first game. Dignam added two RBI and Tancini scored once.
Charli Czaczkowski (Jackson/Jackson Memorial) slugged a two-run homer in the top of the first and Dignam added an RBI single to make it 3-0.
Stevie Unger (Tower City, Pa./Williams Valley) added an RBI single in the second inning to increase the lead to 4-0.
Rutgers-Camden cut the lead half with one run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings before the Ospreys put the game away with five runs on six hits, two errors and a walk in the top of the seventh for the 9-2 victory.
Starter
Nicole Smith (Mt. Bethel, Pa./Bangor Area) collected the win by pitching five innings and allowing just one run on two hits.
Stockton outhit Rutgers-Camden by a wide 13-4 margin yet left 12 runners on base and suffered an exasperating 7-5 setback in the nightcap. Czaczkowski went 4-4 and scored once while Dignam contributed two hits, two RBI, two walks and a run.
After the Scarlet Raptors jumped out to a 2-0 lead, Stockton tied the game in the second inning on an RBI single by
Gabrielle Barranger (Sicklerville/Haddonfield) and sacrifice fly by
Lilly James (Roseland/West Essex).
Rutgers-Camden came right back with three runs in the bottom half for a 5-2 advantage. In the third inning, an RBI single by Dignam and bases-loaded walk to
Megan Sears (Oakland/Indian Hills) briefly got the Ospreys within 5-4 but the home team scored on a double steal to make it 6-4.
The teams exchanged runs in the sixth frame, with Stockton scoring on another RBI single from Dignam, but the Ospreys could not overtake Rutgers-Camden and fell 7-5. Stockton stranded at least one runner on base in every inning, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
Stockton will play its last two doubleheaders of the regular season at home, starting with a non-conference pair against Arcadia University on Thursday at 3 p.m.
