The Stetson Hatters didn't want to leave any room for error on Sunday afternoon at Melching Field as they went for a sweep of visiting USC Upstate.

Holding a slim 3-2 lead going to the seventh inning, the Hatters erupted for six runs to put the game away, completing the sweep with a 9-2 victory.

With the win, the Hatters improved to 20-20 overall on the year and to 4-5 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. The Spartans fell to 18-23 overall and 1-10 in league play.

“It was a really good day,” Hatters coach Pete Dunn said. “We talk about things being contagious, and we hope that the last four games will do that because I thought we swung the bats well in the second game at FSU and then all weekend.

“We did something this weekend that we haven't done all year, and that is put together some really good at bats in one inning. We have had plenty of times when we'd get runners on base, but were not able to get the big two-out hits to drive them in. Cory Reid did that for us in the third inning and again in the seventh.”

The Hatters had the lead from the third inning on as a result of the effort their received on the mound from sophomore Ben Onyshko (1-0). In his first career A-Sun start, he allowed just one earned run on five hits through 5.1 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.

“I felt that Onyshko really stepped up when we needed a big outing from him,” Dunn said. “He did a nice job. He got behind in the count some, but he found a way to get back in it. He only walked two in five and a third, so he found a way. He did a nice job.

“Josh Thorne came in when the game was really tight and he and the rest of the bullpen shut it down from there. They really allowed us to break it open. They did a nice job.”

Onyshko walked the first batter he faced in the game, but then retired the next two before Cody Brittain delivered a single to right to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.

It took the Hatters until the third to finally break through against Upstate starter Kevin Hickey (2-2), who walked Austin Hale and Kevin Fagan to start the inning before Jacob Koos reached on a bunt single. After getting a strike out and a ground ball from Matt Morales to tie the game, it appeared as if the Spartans would escape further damage, but Reid was able to work a 2-2 count before ripping a two-run single into left center.

Upstate scored an unearned run in the fourth when Brendan Brundage reached on a throwing error by Reid with two out. Pat Gaudard followed with a single to right to cut the Hatters' lead to 3-2.

That was where things stayed until the seventh. With reliever Richie Lacell in for his third inning of work, Will Mackenzie drew a walk to open the inning. Austin Hale dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but Lacell tried to go to second for the force and threw the ball into center field, putting runners on first and third.

Kevin Fagan followed, pulling a line drive down the right field line for a three-run home run and a 6-2 lead. Vance Vizcaino followed with an infield single and advanced to second on another Upstate error before a Morales walk before Reid delivered a single to make it 7-2.

After Reid was thrown out trying to steal, Josh Fussell drew a two-out walk. Both he and Morales scored on a double to the wall in right center by Kirk Sidwell.

“It was really good to see us get those two-out base hits to score runs,” Dunn said. “Those are the most discouraging kind of hits for a defense to be that close to getting out of an inning only to have someone drive a run in.

“That was a huge home run by Fagan because that really put it on ice. It was a great weekend.”

Vizcaino, Reid, Sidwell and Koos had two hits each in the game for Stetson. No one for the Spartans managed more than one hit in the game.

The Hatters will try to keep their momentum going on Tuesday night when they host Bethune-Cookman at 6:30 p.m. The game has been designated as student-athlete appreciation night.

“We have our friendly Volusia County rivals coming in and we need to continue to work hard to try to get back over .500 for the year,” Dunn said. “We also have a huge series next weekend with JU coming in.”