Auburndale, Fla. – Stockton University (4-4) began its eight-game spring break trip to Florida with a 12-6 setback in a night game against Mount Union (9-4). Six of the runs allowed by the Ospreys were unearned.
 
Jordan Nitti (Hamilton/Steinert) went 3-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run. Tucker Elder (Ewing/Ewing) ripped a triple, walked twice and scored three runs.
 
Elder led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on an RBI single by Nitti, who later scored on a bases loaded walk to Austin Beard (Toms River/TR South). Evan Bresnen (Allentown/Steinert) stroked an RBI single for a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
 
Mount Union scored once in the third frame and twice in the fourth for a 3-3 tie. Stockton fell behind 6-3 after allowing three unearned runs in the seventh inning. The Ospreys got one back in the bottom half on an RBI single by Tony Gatti (Howell/Howell) that scored Elder.
 
The deficit grew to 12-4 after four runs by the Purple Raiders in the eighth inning and two unearned tallies in the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Nitti hit an RBI double and Elder scored on an RBI single by Nick Avagnano (Paramus/Paramus) for the 12-6 final score.
 
Starter Stephen DeMilio (Tuckerton/Pinelands) allowed two earned runs plus one unearned on five hits with four strikeouts in five innings pitched, but he was not involved in the decision.
 
Stockton will be right back on the field on Sunday for games against Illinois Wesleyan University at 3:45 p.m. and Roger Williams University (R.I.) at 7:00 p.m.