Johnson City, Tenn. - Stetson (24-22, 11-7 Atlantic Sun) dropped both ends of Saturday's doubleheader 10-7 and 22-4 and suffered a series sweep at the hands of ETSU (26-18, 14-7 Atlantic Sun). The Hatters who have an impressive 20-10 record at home this season, are now 4-12 away from Melching Field.
Ryan Lashley (Lake Worth, Fla.) was a bright spot this weekend. He homered in each of the three games and hit .429 (6-for-14) with six RBI. Lashley did his best to keep up with a Buccaneer team that overpowered the Hatters staff. In the three games as a team ETSU hit .491 (57-for-116) with 17 doubles and eight home runs.
In the day's second game Stetson scored all four of its runs in the top of the 6th inning. Jeff Simpson (Valrico, Fla.) and Spencer Theisen (Longwood, Fla.) each singled in front of Lashley and Aaron Crittenden (Fort Myers, Fla.) who delivered two-run homers.
Kyle Maulbetsch (Jacksonville, Fla.) started for Stetson and gave up four runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. The Hatters sent a total of eight pitchers to the mound in the game.
The afternoon's first game was a back-and-forth slugfest that featured 17 hits by ETSU and 12 by Stetson. The Hatters scored two runs in the top of the 7th inning to take a 7-6 lead, their first of the game. Simpson and Lashley scored on RBI by Theisen and Crittenden.
Stetson held the lead until the bottom of the 8th when a defensive lapse allowed ETSU to put the game out of reach. After a base hit and a misplayed a sacrifice bunt, the Hatters committed three errors on one play and surrendered two runs. After two more hits Stetson was down 10-7, the game's final score.
Lindsey Caughel (Orlando, Fla.) started for Stetson and ended up taking the loss after tossing seven complete innings and allowing nine runs, seven earned, on 15 hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Nick Bohne (Melbourne, Fla.) and David Burns (Seminole, Fla.) pitched the final inning with Bohne giving up a run on two hits.
Offensively Nick Rickles (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Kurt Schluter (Jupiter, Fla.) doubled, Sean Emory (Miami, Fla.) tripled, and Lashley clubbed a home run.
The Hatters will now have the week off for finals before hosting USC Upstate in a conference series at next weekend. Friday's game will be played at 6:30 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Stetson fans can see the games on Hatter Vision by going to www.gohatters.com. The voice of Stetson baseball Bill Topping will call the action.
