Box Score After scoring just nine runs through an entire three game series to start the season, the Stetson Hatters exploded for 10 runs in the first four innings Wednesday night at Melching Field en route to a 12-2 victory over No. 23 FIU.
The offensive outburst was keyed by a school-record 10 doubles, including three each by Josh Powers and Cory Reid.
The Hatters evened their season record at 2-2 while FIU fell to 2-2 on the year.
Things got off a to a rocky start for Stetson as FIU jumped on starting pitcher Adam Schaly (1-1) for a pair of runs in the first inning thanks to a home run by Edwin Rios. On the heels of his start last Saturday in which he allowed five earned runs and didn't get out of the first innings, Schaly settled down and turned in a strong performance against FIU.
“It was an inauspicious start, especially coming off his last start, but he settle down and was really efficient in his pitch count and did a great job,” Hatters head coach Pete Dunn said of his junior left-hander. “He probably could have gone another inning.”
As it was, Schaly allowed just those two runs on five hits over seven innings of work to get the victory. He did not walk anyone and struck out three, needing just 82 pitches to complete his work for the night.
While Schaly was getting things back in line on the mound, the Stetson hitters showed that the expectations that were put on them before the season started were not unrealistic.
The Hatters scored in each of the first five innings of the game, including a five-run third, to blow the game wide open early. Powers, who finished with five hits, including his three doubles, drove in three of the runs for Stetson while Reid, Kevin Fagan and Vance Vizcaino drove in two runs each.
Reid had a chance to break the school mark for doubles in a game in the sixth innings, but turned what would have been the record breaking double into a triple, one of two in the game for Stetson.
“There were a lot of people out there who were doubting that I had any sense at all about this team after last weekend,” Dunn said. “We are confident that this team will be a good offensive team, and we went a long way tonight to convince some people of that.
“It is a start. I don't think we will get 18 or 19 hits every game, but we are certainly a better offensive club than we showed last weekend.”
In addition to the five hits for Powers, Reid had four, Vizcaino had three and Fagan, Garrett Russini and Will Mackenzie had two each.
The Hatters will have a quick turnaround after the win, with a four-game series against Central Michigan set to begin on Friday night.
“We needed to get this win tonight against a very good club,” Dunn said. “It was also good for Schaly because something like this will go a long way toward getting your confidence back.”
The series against Central Michigan will start with a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday before the teams play a double-header on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. The series finale, on Sunday, is scheduled for a noon start.
