The Stetson baseball team did everything it could Saturday afternoon at Melching Field to battle back from an early 6-0 deficit against visiting Winthrop, but the Hatters fell just short, dropping the second game of the weekend series 6-4.

The Hatters (11-9) and Eagles (11-8) will square off on Sunday in the rubber game of the series with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m.

“It was too little, too late,” Hatters coach Pete Dunn said. “We made a run at it, and we talk all the time about having an opportunity to get the tying run to the plate in the late innings, and we did that today. We just couldn't come up with one in the gap. We squared the ball up really well all day, but they always seemed to have someone there.

After three scoreless frames to start the game, the middle innings were the Hatters undoing. Winthrop scored a pair of runs in the fourth, another in the fifth and added three more in the sixth inning, chasing Stetson starting pitcher Brooks Wilson (2-3) in the process.

Wilson surrendered four of the six Winthrop runs on nine hits while managing just two strikeouts.

“When I took him out he said that he didn't have his best stuff today,” Dunn said. “The strikeouts weren't there and, usually, he has been able to pitch his way out of some jams with punch-outs, but he didn't have any today. You have to give them credit because they had 15 hits, and that is a lot of hits. We are probably fortunate that they only had six runs.”

The Hatters began their comeback attempt in the sixth inning against Winthrop starter Zach Sightler (3-0) when Vance Vizcaino and Cory Reid delivered consecutive singles. After a wild pitch, John Fussell delivered a ground ball up the middle that Sightler deflected just enough for second baseman Jake Sullivan to make a play on.

Sightler worked into the seventh inning, allowing just that one run on six hits. He walked four and struck out two.

Stetson got another run back in the eighth inning when Kirk Sidwell delivered a pinch-hit double off reliever Riley Arnone, and Charlie Watters followed with a pinch-hit single to drive in the run.

The Hatters made things dicey for the Eagles in the ninth inning after Austin Hale walked and Jacob Koos reached on an error. Winthrop turned to Zach Cook with two on, and he promptly surrendered a pinch-high RBI single to Mike Spooner.

After Vizcaino hit a line drive to left for the first out, Reid delivered another run with a ground ball to short, but surrendered the second out in the process. Sidwell then lined out to left center to end the Hatters' comeback.

The save for Cook was his second of the year.

In addition to the 15 hits for Winthrop, including three each by Tyler Asbill, Mitch Spires and Roger Gonzalez, the Hatters also had three errors in the game.

“We have to be able to turn double plays, and there were two routine double plays today that we didn't turn,” Dunn said. “We preach to our pitchers to get ground balls, but we have to be able to turn a double play when we get a ground ball. We have to get a lot better there if we are going to be any good.”

While Wilson struggled in his start, sophomore Ben Onyshko made his second appearance of the year on the mound and made it count. He recorded seven outs and needed just 19 pitches to get them despite giving up three hits. In the eighth inning he needed just three pitches – a fly out, a single and a double play – to retire the side.

“We said going into the year that he would have to help us,” Dunn said. “Hopefully that will give him some confidence. He has to develop confidence in himself, because we have confidence in him. We will keep running him out there. Hopefully he will have a good feeling after today.”

Offensively for the Hatters, Reid and Austin Hale had two hits each to lead the way.

“We hit the ball on the nose some today, hit some on the screws, but didn't have anything to show for it,” Dunn said. “We just have to put this one behind us, come back tomorrow and take the series.”

The Hatters will send freshman left-hander Erik Wiebke (1-2, 3.05) to the mound on Sunday to square off against Winthrop freshman left-hander Thad Harris (0-2, 4.43).

“What you shoot for every weekend is to take the series and we need to come out tomorrow and get after it,” Dunn said. “Hopefully Wiebke will be effective against that lineup. He needs to throw the ball over the plate and use his off-speed stuff to keep these guys off-balance. These guys are good hitters, so you can't just throw it over the plate and get outs.”