Mahwah, N.J. – Stockton University (22-15, 12-6 NJAC) split its doubleheader with Ramapo (24-14, 11-7 NJAC) and in doing so clinched the NJAC regular season title for the first time in school history. The Ospreys took the opener 9-8 with a stunning ninth-inning rally but dropped the nightcap 8-2.
Stockton was ranked seventh in the NJAC preseason coaches and chosen as the dark horse, a billing that they lived up to by winning the regular season crown.
In the first game,
Robbie Ford (Green Twp./Newton) went 3-4 with a double and three runs.
Russell Halvorsen (Howell/Howell) went 3-4 with two runs and an RBI while
Tony Gatti (Howell/Howell) was 3-4 with two RBI and a run.
Stockton scored four runs in the third inning and the teams went back and forth on the way to a 4-4 tie after seven frames. Ramapo jumped ahead 8-5 in the bottom of the eighth, setting the stage for a thrilling comeback by the Ospreys.
Ford led off the ninth inning with a double and moved to third on a single by Halvorsen. Gatti followed with a two-run single that brought Stockton within 8-7. A fielder's choice and a pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs.
Tucker Elder (Ewing/Ewing) then stroked a clutch two-run single that put the Ospreys in front 9-8.
Stockton closer
Reece Miller (Toms River/TR East) came out of the bullpen and pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to close the 9-8 triumph and earn his NJAC-leading eighth save of the season, giving
Kyle Cipolla (Westwood/Westwood) his second victory of the year.
The Ospreys were limited to just three hits in the second game. Elder doubled and scored once while Ford hit a two-run single in the seventh inning for Stockton's only scoring of the contest.
During the doubleheader,
Max Kaplan (Wall/Wall) and
Tony Gatti (Howell/Howell) both broke the 100-hit barrier for their careers.
Stockton's win in the opener coupled with results in other conference games gave the Ospreys the NJAC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed for the upcoming NJAC Tournament despite the result of game two.
Stockton will host No. 6 seed The College of New Jersey in the first round of the NJAC Tournament on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
