Box Score Tallahassee, Fla. – The Stetson Hatters did all they could do in the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon to battle back from an 8-1 deficit, but came up just short, falling to No. 10 Florida State 8-6.
The Hatters (17-20) lost their fifth straight, the longest such streak since a six-game skid early in the 2014 season. The 10th ranked Seminoles improved to 25-11 with the win, their 11th straight over Stetson.
Stetson had managed just four hits through the first eight innings at Dick Howser Stadium, but rallied for four in the ninth off Seminoles reliever Ed Voyles. The game ended with the tying run at the plate when Vance Vizcaino was just nipped at first on a ground ball to second.
Prior to that, the Hatters got an RBI double from John Fussell, a two-out, two-run single by Kevin Fagan and an infield hit by Will Mackenzie that plated two runs on a throwing error by FSU shortstop Taylor Walls.
FSU got on the board early against Stetson starter Adam Schaly (1-3). Walls led off with a single to left and advanced to second despite getting picked off when Matt Morales was unable to come up with the throw from Mackenzie. Two outs later Cal Raleigh delivered a single to right for a 1-0 Seminoles lead.
The Hatters were able to draw even in the fifth inning against FSU starter Andrew Karp (1-0) when Cory Reid was hit by a pitch, moved up on a single by Fagan and a wild pitch and then scored on a ground out by Mike Spooner.
The tie lasted exactly one pitch into the next inning when Dylan Busby launched a home run to right to put the Seminoles back on top. Singles by Steven Wells, Jr., and Matt Henderson then set the stage for John Sansone, whose two-out double scored two and put FSU up 4-1.
The Seminoles padded their lead in the seventh inning off reliever Stetson Josh Thorne. Pinch hitter Donovan Petrey was hit by a pitch to start the inning for FSU before Ben DeLuzio doubled into the left field corner. Jack Perkins came on to pitch for the Hatters and got a fly ball from Matt Henderson, allowing Petrey to score. After a wild pitch moved DeLuzio to third, Walls delivered another sac fly to make it 6-1.
Perhaps the two most important runs to score in the game seemed like just add-ons at the time. The Seminoles scored twice in the eighth inning after Ben Onyshko struck out the first two hitters of the frame, both looking.
Onyshko allowed a walk to Nick Graganella, which brought Stetson closer Walker Sheller into the game. Sheller walked the first batter he faced, Busby, on four pitches before allowing an infield single to Petrey to load the bases and a two-run single by DeLuzio to push the FSU lead to 8-1.
Fagan was the only Stetson player with more than one hit in the game while Wells, Jr., and DeLuzio had two hits each for FSU.
The Hatters will return home to Melching Field to open an eight-game home stand on Friday with the first game of a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series against USC Upstate. Friday's game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start
