Box Score DeLand, Fla. ? Stetson pounded out 22 hits on its way to a 19-4 win and a 2-0 series lead over East Tennessee State Saturday night on Melching Field. The Hatters are now one game under .500 for the first time this season at 25-26, as well as 14-12 in A-Sun Conference play. The Buccaneers dropped to 23-24 over all and 9-17 in the league.
Five Stetson players delivered three hits each led by Jeremy Cruz (Miami, Fla.) who was 3-for-5 including a grand slam and five RBI. It was his 16th home run of the season and he raised his A-Sun leading RBI total to 72. Fellow Miami native Sean Emory was 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Aaron Crittenden (Fort Myers, Fla.) was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Jacob deGrom (DeLeon Springs, Fla.) was 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Kyle Maulbetsch (St. Augustine, Fla.) finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
Robby Donovan (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) took the win for the Hatters to raise his record to 5-3 on the season. He tossed seven complete innings allowing two runs and striking out five batters. Josh Gonzage (Davie, Fla.) took the loss for ETSU and dropped to 3-3.
ETSU took the early lead with a run in the top of the second inning before Stetson countered with two in the bottom half and then never looked back. After adding single runs in the fourth and fifth innings the Hatters delivered back-to-back knockout punches with seven runs in the sixth and again in the seventh.
The big blow in the sixth was a two run homer by freshman Mark Jones (Palm Coast, Fla.), his sixth, scoring Crittenden ahead of him. It was another home run that highlighted the seventh. After a trio of singles by deGrom, Jeff Simpson (Valrico, Fla.), and Casey Frawley (New Haven, Ct.), Cruz stepped up and smashed a 1-0 fastball high and deep over the fence in left center. The blast ended Cruz's nine-game home run drought and moved him into second place in the conference.
Senior Blake Marsocci (Okeechobee, Fla.) took the mound in the ninth inning and closed out the win after striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Stetson and ETSU will play one more time on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Stetson fans can hear all the games on Hatter Vision found at www.gohatters.com. The voice of Hatters baseball Bill Topping will call the action. Tickets for all Stetson home games can be purchased on line at gohatters.com or at the gate on game day.
