Galloway, NJ – Stockton University (20-13, 10-4 NJAC) slipped by FDU-Florham (12-23) by a 6-4 score on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference matchup.
Max Kaplan (Wall/Wall) and
Cooper Fiore (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) each had three hits to lead the 13-hit attack on the day.
Fiore extended his on-base streak to 56 straight games dating back to last season, while Kaplan ran his to 31 straight games.
Tony Gatti (Howell/Howell) had a hit in the contest, running his hitting streak to 19 straight games. The Ospreys posted their 20th win of the season, the second straight year with 20 or more victories.
The Ospreys got on the board first with an RBI single by
Jordan Nitti (Hamilton/Steinert) for a 1-0 lead after one inning. After the Devils tied it in the third, Stockton answered with a single tally, as Nitti doubled and advanced to third on a fly out. Kaplan then singled Nitti home for the 2-1 lead.
The visitors tied the game in the fifth frame before Stockton would put some distance between the squads. Kaplan scored in the sixth on a pair of errors, then in the seventh,
Robbie Ford (Green Twp./Newton) and
Russell Halvorsen (Howell/Howell), on a squeeze bunt, added RBI to push the margin to 5-2 after seven innings.
The Devils would not relent as they closed to within one at 5-4 in the eighth. Stockton scored an important insurance run the bottom of the frame when Kaplan singled, stole second and scored his second run of the game on a Fiore single to make it 6-4.
Mike Schiattarella (Manahawkin/Southern) had his best outing of the year, tossing six innings, striking out four for his first win of the season. Freshman
Danny Snyder (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) and
Dylan Sakele Rumson/Rumson-Fair Haven) came on in relief of Schiattarella with two innings of work without allowing an earned run.
Reece Miller (Tome River/Toms River East) came on to record his seventh save of the year in the ninth to secure the two-run victory.
Jake Hendershot had three of the seven hits for the Devils in the game.
Stockton will return to NJAC play on Thursday, when the Ospreys will travel to Union, NJ to face Kean University in an important game, as the teams are currently tied for first place in the league standings. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
