DeLand, Fla. - Justin Bass drove in five runs on three hits, including his first home run of the year as the Hatters held back a Quinnipiac comeback for a 9-7 win Monday night at Melching Field. 

The Hatters (14-6) took a 6-1 lead after four innings before the Bobcats (2-3) came back to tie it in the eighth on a 2-RBI single from Jeff Mainetti.   

Stetson immediately answered in the bottom of the eighth.  Josh Clendenin led off with a solid single to center.  Kevin Johnson then laid down a bunt with two strikes.  He beat the throw, which then went wild, and Clendenin raced around third.  Suddenly he found himself in a rundown but as he broke for home, Quinnipiac's catcher was called for obstruction and Clendenin came home with the lead run.  Shane Jordan and Bass would add run-scoring hits to cap the inning. 

The Bobcats threatened in the ninth with a one-out double from John Delaney ? his third two-base hit of the night.  Robbie Elsemiller, pitching for the fourth straight day, then entered the game and after giving up a single to score the Bobcat's seventh run, shut to door for his seventh save. 

Jordan started the Hatters off with a bunt single and a stolen base with no outs in the first inning.  Following a fly out and a walk, Bass doubled in both base runners for a 2-0 lead.  Clendenin knocked in a run with a double in the second and Jordan drove home another with a ground out. 

Bass led off the third with his home run and added a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 6-1 advantage. 

Quinnipiac began to chip away in the fifth.  Stetson starter Jake Hitchcock hit Brian Monack with a pitch and John Delaney doubled him home.  Delaney later scored on a ground out to pull the Bobcats within 6-3. 

In the eighth, Delaney struck again with a leadoff double.  Ryan Rizzo singled him in and set the stage for Mainetti's game-tying base hit with two outs. 

Freshman Ian Thompson (1-0) earned his first win for Stetson.  Quinnipiac starter Paul Gibson (0-1) took the loss despite a gutsy outing. 

Jeremy Cruz and Clendenin each added three-hit nights to Bass's effort.  Jordan rapped two hits, scored three times, drove in two more, and stole two bases.  Delaney's three hits paced Quinnipiac.

The series concludes Tuesday night with a 7:00 first pitch at Melching Field.