Jacksonville, Fla. - It was a tough afternoon for Stetson (25-27, 12-11) after dropping a doubleheader to the University of North Florida (29-21, 14-8) Saturday in Jacksonville. The Hatters fell 17-0 in the first game and then 6-1 in the nightcap. As a team Stetson totaled 12 hits combined while UNF had 30.
In game one the Ospreys scored twice in the 2nd and then tallied five runs in the 3rd, 4th and 6th innings. Stetson starter Jacob deGrom (DeLeon Springs, Fla.) tossed just two innings and surrendered seven runs on nine hits. It was his 10th start of the season and the first in which he did not strike out a batter. His overall record is now 4-4. It was a valiant effort for the Hatter ace that has never pitched before this season and now has over 66 innings under his belt.
Kurt Schluter (Jupiter, Fla.) relieved deGrom and gave up five runs over three complete innings. Tucker Donahue was next and he also allowed five runs, yet threw just 2/3 of an inning. Joe Dye (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) finished the 7-inning game and did not allow a run in 2/3 of an inning.
Offensively five Hatters each had a single against UNF starter George Lott (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) who went the distance for his 6th win of the season (6-2).
Things looked better for the Hatters in game two after jumping out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. Sean Emory (Miami, Fla.) led off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Rickles (Loxahatchee, Fla.). Emory and Rickles both came up with two hits in the game for the Hatters.
Starter Lindsey Caughel (Orlando, Fla.) pitched very well into the 6th inning when he allowed a solo home run to Preston Hale (Lakeland, Fla.) that tied the game. Caughel finished the 7th although UNF added a two-run homer to go ahead 3-1. He finished with three runs allowed, five strike outs and one walk.
UNF starter Michael Kelly (Mayo, Fla.) was the second Osprey pitcher to toss a complete game. He struck out 10, walked 1, and is now 5-6 on the season.
The Hatters and Ospreys will conclude the series with a single game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Stetson fans can hear the game on Hatter Vision by going to www.gohatters.com. The voice of Stetson baseball Bill Topping will call the action.