Ewing, NJ….The College of New Jersey softball team suffered a setback in its quest to gain a spot in the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament as the Lions dropped a doubleheader to visiting Richard Stockton College on Tuesday, April 25. The Ospreys took the opener by the score of 6-1 before taking the nightcap, 3-0.

The two losses knocks TCNJ to 23-13 on the season and 6-8 in the NJAC, while the Ospreys moved to 6-10 in the conference and 22-16 overall. The Lions are currently in seventh place tied with the Richard Stockton as each team is one game behind Kean University, with the top six teams advancing to the conference tournament.

Richard Stockton 6, TCNJ 1
Box score
A pair of big innings helped the Ospreys erase a 1-0 deficit with four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. In the fifth, Jackie Anderson (Saddle Brook, NJ, NJ/Paramus Catholic) provided the big hit with a two-run double putting the visitors in front for good.

TCNJ’s lone run came in the bottom of the third as Julianne Lajiness (Monroe Township, NJ/Notre Dame) scored on an Osprey miscue.

Lajiness also took the loss on the mound for the Lions allowing three runs in 4.1 innings, while Heather Hoffman (Annandale, NJ/Immaculata) also gave up three runs in relief.

Tara Barker (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) picked up the win for the Ospreys giving up just the one unearned run on nine hits. She is now 10-7 on the season.

Richard Stockton 3, TCNJ 0
Box score
RSC pitcher Jessica Ricciuti (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) tossed the complete game shutout scattering five hits. The freshman also received some help from her defense as three TCNJ base runners were cut down at home plate.

The Ospreys scored all three runs in the fourth with Anderson bringing in two runs with a pinch-hit single and the other came on a base hit by Heather Castle (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern).

For the Lions, Lajiness had three hits.

TCNJ will be back in action on Thursday, April 27 in a rescheduled doubleheader with Ramapo College. Game time is 3 p.m. at Lions’ Park. Richard Stockton caps its regular season on Saturday with a conference twin bill at William Paterson University.