Winter Haven, FL – Stockton University (4-4) played a tough ranked opponent but came up on the short end of an 8-7 decision to the University of Mount Union (12-2) on Friday morning. Nick Avagnano (Paramus/Paramus) and Matthew McCloskey (Cinnaminson/Cinnaminson) led the Ospreys with two safeties each. The Purple Raiders are ranked #21 by d3baseball.com
 
Stockton opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, on an error and a Joe Gmitter (Hamilton/Steinert) RBI for a 2-0 lead. After four scoreless innings by both squads, the Raiders tied the game 2-2 with a pair of runs in their half of the sixth inning.
 
Gmitter knocked in his second run on the day to give Stockton a brief 3-2 advantage in the sixth, but three more tallies in the seventh frame gave Mount Union a 5-3 lead. The Ospreys re-gained the lead with three markers of their own in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Freshman Jimmy Casey (Newtown, PA/Archbishop Wood) singled to score McCloskey, then fellow frosh Liam Schwinn (West Chester, PA/Henderson) scored on a passed ball. Gmitter drove in Casey for his third RBI and a 6-5 lead.
 
In the eight inning, after Mount Union tied the game once more, Max Kaplan (Wall/Wall) put Stockton ahead 7-6, but it was short-lived, as the Purple Raiders tallied another two runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Ospreys put the first two runners on in their final at bat but could not push the runs across, as Mount Union captured the 8-7 victory.
 
Freshman Nick Kowalewski (Point Pleasant/Point Pleasant Boro) made his first career start, tossing six strong innings, allowing four hits, and striking out three, but did not figure in the decision.

Stockton will finish their seven-game Florida trip tomorrow against UMass-Boston at 4:30pm in Lakeland, Florida.