The Stetson Hatters did not get off to the kind of start to the 2015 season that they had hoped for, but the 3-0 loss to visiting LaSalle on opening night was not foremost on the minds of the players and coaches.

Of much more concern was the well being of Hatters fan, a Stetson University professor Dr. Ben Goss, who suffered a medical emergency in the stands during the eighth inning on Friday.

“This was a very disappointing loss, but the situation that happened in the stands takes the most importance,” Hatters head coach Pete Dunn said. “We are hoping that Dr. Goss recovers. It was a tough situation because a lot of our players know him.”

Goss collapsed in the stands in the top of the eighth inning of a scoreless game. After play was halted for almost a half hour while rescue efforts took place, LaSalle was able to break through with an unearned run.

“I don't think that had anything to do with why we lost the ball game,” Dunn said. “Both teams had the long lay off and had to go back to work once we got restarted. It was a very disappointing night from and offensive standpoint.”

The Explorers scored what turned out to be the winning run off Stetson relief pitcher Walker Sheller after he had a play that should have ended the inning. After hitting the leadoff man prior to the delay, Sheller came back after the delay to strikeout the next two hitters. LaSalle shortstop Michael Flax followed with a ground ball to first, but Sheller dropped the feed from Will Mackenzie to keep the inning alive.

Justin Korenblatt followed with a single to right, scoring Ryan Welling for a 1-0 lead.

LaSalle then tacked on two more in the ninth inning. Cameron Johnson, who was the only Explorers hitter not to strike out in the game, drew a walk off Brooks Wilson to start the frame. Stetson turned to closer Tyler Warmoth to get out of the inning, but Josh Savakinus and Joey Ravert followed with back-to-back run-scoring doubles to put LaSalle up 3-0.

“We had opportunities to take a lead early in the game and put some pressure on them, but we kept letting them off the hook,” Dunn said. “Give them credit because they were finally able to manufacture a run and then built on it in the ninth, which is what good teams do.”

Neither team was able to do much offensively in the game despite 13 total pitchers taking the mound over the course of the evening. The Hatters were held to just five hits, but left 12 runners on base in the game thanks to seven walks.

“We shot ourselves in the foot over and over again, both at the plate and on defense,” Dunn said. “I still think that we are going to swing the bats well this year, but we sure didn't prove that to anyone tonight. We just needed contact a couple of times and got strikeouts.”

Stetson starting pitcher Mitchell Jordan did his part for the Hatters, striking out a career-high nine in 6.1 innings of work. He allowed just two hits and didn't walk anyone.

“That is the bright spot for us,” Dunn said. “Mitchell gave us all he could give. He went deep in the game, deeper than we anticipated because he was so efficient. I think that is the kind of performance we will get from here every Friday night, but we have to do more offensively than we did tonight if we are going to be a good ball club.”

The Hatters left runners on base in each of the first eight innings, with six of those runners left in scoring position.

Only senior Garrett Russini, who singled in the first inning off LaSalle starter Jared Mattera and doubled in the eighth, had more than one hit for Stetson, but even he had chances to drive in runs in the third and fifth innings and left them stranded.

The Hatters other three hits came from Kevin Fagan, Josh Powers and Tyler Bocock.

Reliever Billy Worswick was the most fortunate pitcher of the night. He earned the win by throwing just one pitch, getting Patrick Mazeika to ground out to end the seventh inning. Adam Cherry came on to work a perfect ninth for the Explorers to get the save.

Sheller took the loss for Stetson.

The Hatters will try to shake off their sixth loss in the last eight opening day games when they return to Melching Field on Saturday for the second game of the weekend series against LaSalle. Stetson is scheduled to send junior left-hander Adam Schaly to the mound while LaSalle will start Ravert, who served as the DH on Friday.

The first pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 5 p.m.