Box Score Boiling Springs, NC ? As has been true to often this season, the Hatters' bats were hot, yet the arms were not. Stetson (7-8, 1-3) rallied with 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning yet fell just short in a 10-9 decision to Gardner-Webb (7-8, 1-6) Friday afternoon in Boiling Springs.
Stetson hit five home runs in the game led by Jeremy Cruz (Miami, Fla.) and Justin Bass (DeLand, Fla.) who each parked a pair. Bass hit number 2 and number 3 of the season in the 4th and 6th innings, both were solo home runs. Cruz hit a solo shot in the 3rd inning and absolutely crushed one 40 feet over the wall in left in the top of the 9th, his conference-leading 7th of the season. Catcher Brad Pippa (Danbury, Ct.) also hit a solo homer coming in the 7th inning, his first of the season.
As a team Stetson is now hitting .300 this year led by Cruz at .517, Aaron Crittenden (Fort Myers, Fla.) at .397, Robert Crews (Port Charlotte, Fla.) at .385 and Bass at .344.
Stetson was playing catch-up ball all afternoon after the Bulldogs put up three runs in the bottom of the first and one in the second off starter Jake Hitchcock (Alachua, Fla.). Hitchcock pitched 5 innings giving up 8 hits, 7 runs, and fell to 0-3 on the season. Freshman Nick Bohne (Melbourne, Fla.) followed with an inning of work giving up a run and striking out one batter. Justin Dechert (Boynton Beach, Fla.) also gave up one run pitching the 7th, and Andy Mauldin (Gainesville, Fla.) pitched a scoreless 8th and picking up a strike out.
Four Hatters finished the game with multiple hits including Cruz (2-for-4) and Bass (3-for-4). Casey Frawley (New Haven, Ct.) was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and Crews was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.
After Cruz brought the Stetson to within one in the 9th Gardner-Webb reliever Jonathan Ban came into the game and set down the Hatters on a fielder's choice and a strike out for his first save of the season.
Weather permitting; the two teams will meet at Varsity Field again tomorrow at noon for an A-Sun doubleheader.
