Galloway, NJ –Stockton University (9-8-1) dropped a high-scoring 18-11 decision to Immaculata (12-4) on a frigid Tuesday afternoon. Dominic Meleo (Freehold/St. Peter's Prep) and Thomas Elgrim (Fair Haven/Rumson-Fair Haven) slugged home runs for the Ospreys. It was the freshman Elgrim's first career home run.
 
The Might Macs opened the scoring in the top of the first with two runs, but Stockton answered back with a pair to knot the game at 1-1 after one frame. RBI by Jordan Nitti (Hamilton/Steinert) and Luke Fabrizzi (Old Bridge/Str. John Vianney) accounted for the markers.
 
The Ospreys grabbed a 4-2 lead in the home half of the fourth inning, when Elgrim singled and scored on a Sam Nieves (South Plainfield/South Plainfield) double. Nieves advanced to third then scored when Ryan Swift (Sewell/Washington Twp. hit a sacrifice fly to give Stockton a brief 4-2 margin.
 
The Macs took control of the game in the top of the fifth inning plating four runs on two hits and three walks for a 6-4 lead. The home squad sliced the margin to 6-5 in the bottom of the inning as Tucker Elder (Ewing/Ewing) tripled and scored on a Fabrizzi sacrifice fly.
 
Immaculata kept the hits and runs coming with five more markers on five hits in the next frame to extend the lead to 11-5. Elgrim smashed his first career homer, a two-run blast to left, to make it 11-7 after six innings.
 
Both teams plated three runs each in the seventh stanza, Stockton's three coming on Meleo's second bomb of the year, this time a three-run shot to keep the Ospreys close at 14-10. But that was as close as Stockton would come as Immaculata pushed across four more markers in the final two innings, to one for the Ospreys in the 18-11 final score.
 
The Ospreys bashed 11 hits with Fabrizzi, Meleo, Elgrim and Robbie Ford (Green Twp./Newton) all banging two safeties each. Meleo had three RBI while Fabrizzi and Elgrim knocked in two each as each scored a pair of runs, as did Elder.
 
Aaron Winsker (Baltimore, MD/Hereford) started for Stockton and suffered his first loss of the season, tossing five innings allowing for hits and striking out two.
 
Maddox Stern led the Mighty Macs with five hits and scored four times, with teammates Joey Wright and Louis Sharp, getting three hits each. Wright topped all players with six RBI, with Sharp driving in three runs.
 
The Ospreys will begin NJAC Conference play on Saturday when the Ospreys will travel to Ramapo for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 am in Mahwah.