Things did not go the way the Stetson Hatters had hoped they would on Friday night at Melching Field as visiting Lipscomb spoiled senior night, downing the Hatters 9-1.

The loss dropped Stetson to 25-28 overall on the year and 9-11 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. The Bisons improved to 29-25 overall and 11-9, clinching the number 4 seed in next week's conference tournament in Nashville. Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast are tied for fifth in the standings going into the final day of play.

Friday's game turned on Stetson during a strange fourth inning during which Lipscomb scored five runs to take a 7-0 lead.

The Bisons had jumped to a 2-0 lead in the third when Adam Lee hit a two-out, two-run homer off Stetson starter Adam Schaly (1-6). The Hatters then committed an error on a ground ball to start the fourth inning before consecutive infield singles loaded the bases with no one out.

Lipscomb catcher Jeffrey Crisan made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly before the late May full moon took affect. Hunter Hanks lifted a fly ball deep to left field that Stetson's Jacob Koos appeared to make a catch on at the fence. The Hatters hurried the ball back to the infield and caught Von Watson trying to score from second on the play.

Instead of the inning being over on the play, the umpires got together and decided to overrule the out call on the fly ball in left, and then also overruled everything that happened on the play after that. So, instead of a double play to end the inning in a 4-0 game, the Bisons were left with the bases loaded and only one out.

Michael Gigliotti followed with a two-run double before a pitching change ended Schaly's night. Lee Solomon greeted freshman Logan Gilbert with an RBI single and Adam Lee followed with another run-scoring hit, making it a 7-0 game.

That was more than enough cushion for Lipscomb starting pitcher Jeffrey Passantino (6-4) who allowed just one run on four hits through seven innings of work. He did not allow a walk and struck out five.

Stetson's only run in the game came in the fourth when Vance Vizcaino led off with a double, moved up on a single by Austin Hale and then scored when Cory Reid grounded into a double play.

Lipscomb added single runs to its total in the eighth and ninth innings for the final margin.

One of the few bright spots in the game for Stetson was the fact that senior John Fussell had two of the Hatters' five hits, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. Lee and Watson had three hits each to lead the Bisons, who piled up 15 hits in the game.

The Hatters will try to salvage the final game of the series on Saturday when the teams have a brunch meeting. The first pitch for Military Appreciation Day at Melching Field is scheduled for 11 a.m.