NEWARK, N.J. (April 29, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Newark softball team dropped a pair of New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) games Saturday on Alumni Field against rival Stockton University.
 
The Ospreys won the opener, 5-1, and took the nightcap, 3-0.
 
Rutgers-Newark closes its 2017 regular season with an overall mark of 15-23 and a 3-15 mark inside the NJAC. Stockton improves to 20-17-1 overall and 9-8-1 in league play.
 
Stockton 5, Rutgers-Newark 1
The two hurlers – junior Kelly Yusko for Rutgers-Newark and junior Hannah Bibeault – dominated the action early as the game remained scoreless through three innings of play.
 
Stockton was able to break through in the fourth, scoring five runs on three hits and two errors.
 
Yusko and junior Morgan Walizer – who came on in the top of the sixth – limited the damage, but the R-N offense was unable to come back.
 
The Rutgers-Newark run crossed in the bottom of the seventh when Yusko led off with a single to center field. Freshman Brittany Kalesse reached on a fielder's choice, and she was the one who eventually scored, crossing on a throwing error.
 
Rutgers-Newark tallied two hits in the opener, getting one from freshman Sarah Stiehler and one from Yusko.
 
Yusko scattered eight hits over five innings, giving up five unearned runs and striking out four. Walizer allowed two hits and no runs in her two innings of work.
 
Junior Danielle Lugo led Stockton, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Bibeault picked up her 10th win with a complete-game two-hitter.
 
Stockton 3, Rutgers-Newark 0
Game two remained scoreless until the sixth inning when Stockton scored three runs – two on a Lugo triple and another on a wild pitch.
 
Walizer got the start and pitched well for Rutgers-Newark, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. Yusko tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit.
 
Sophomore Victoria Torp improved to 10-7 on the season for the Ospreys, allowing no runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
 
Stiehler, Walizer, junior Morgan Schweitzer, Kalesse and junior Sam Held had the Rutgers-Newark knocks, and Yusko worked a walk.
 
R-N's best chances came in the fourth and sixth innings, totaling two hits in each frame, but the Raiders were unable to come up with the clutch knock they needed.
 
Scarlet Raider softball fans should continue to monitor www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com for postseason honors, and fans can also follow @ScarletRaiders on twitter for the latest.