Despite holding visiting High Point hitless through eight innings Friday night at Melching Field, the Stetson Hatters were their own worst enemies in a 4-3 loss to the Panthers in 10 innings.
 
The Hatters (2-4) committed four defensive errors in the game and allowed the Panthers (4-1) to put leadoff runners on base with a walk or hit batter four times. Three of those produced runs, the first two without needing a hit.
 
"What I told the team was we have to learn how to win these games," Hatters head coach Steve Trimper said. "As we move forward into conference, these Friday night guys are going to lock horns and go at it. We gave them a couple of runs early, but we chipped away, got a home run, and were able to tie it, but then we had opportunities in the seventh, eighth and ninth. The type of team we need to be is one that learns how to win in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings."
 
Junior Brooks Wilson surrendered a leadoff walk in the first and a hit batter in the sixth inning, both to HPU's Austen Zente, and both times the Panthers were able to turn those mistakes into runs without getting a hit. A throwing error by Wilson in the first inning on a pickoff attempt allowed Zente to get to third base, where he scored on a ground out. In the sixth it was a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly that did the trick.
 
"It happens a lot in the first inning when you have a lot of adrenalin, you come out and try to throw the ball as hard as you can," Wilson said. "You have to settle down and have faith in your infielders."
 
Outside of the five walks he allowed over eight innings, and the one hit batter, Wilson was as good as he has ever been at Stetson. He struck-out a career-high 12 hitters and did not allow a hit while throwing 119 pitches. Wilson said it was his splitter that proved to be the difference.
 
"I was able to get them into good pitcher counts for most of the night, which set them up for the splitter," Wilson said.
 
Despite carrying a no-hitter through eight innings, which Wilson said is the closest he has ever come, Trimper said it was an easy decision to lift him going to the ninth.
 
"It is early in the year," Trimper said. "He had a rough first inning that got his pitch count up early. He settled in after that and got a lot of strikeouts. All strikeout pitchers have high pitch counts because it takes at least three to get it done. Brooks has turned into a strikeout guy in these first two games. He had a great performance, but we just didn't get that extra thing done offensively to complete the game."
 
With the game tied at two in the eighth, Wilson had to battle after a pair of walks put runners on first and third with two outs. Pitching coach Dave Therneau went to the mound before Wilson could square off with HPU cleanup hitter Zack Gray.
 
"When he came out there, the first thing he said was that he wasn't going to take me out, so I was able to let that go and relax," Wilson said. "I knew that was probably going to be the last batter, and I thought I had him on the inside fastball. I just had to move on to the next pitch, made the same pitch that had been working all night and got the strikeout."
 
Obviously, the team bounded out of the dugout to greet Wilson after that strikeout, but Trimper said he had to call the players together to get them to calm down.
 
"With this young team, they are on a roller coaster and I want them to keep and even keel," Trimper said. "We had guys who were trying to hit a home run late in the game, and we are not that type of team. We have to understand that, and they are working hard, but we are still in that learning phase right now."
 
While Wilson was handcuffing the Panthers with his splitter, the High Point duo of Andrew Gottfried and Rion Murrah (1-0) was keeping the Stetson offense at bay. The Hatters got on the board in the second inning when Jack Gonzalez hit a solo home run. After HPU took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, Stetson answered in the bottom of the inning thanks to one of two errors for the Panthers.
 
After tying the game, the Hatters managed just two base-runners over the final three frames in regulation.
 
The Panthers finally broke-up the no-hitter in the ninth inning when catcher Spencer Brown delivered a two-out single to right off Dean Garabedian. Senior left-hander Tyler Keller (0-1) came on to get the final out in the ninth, but then walked the leadoff hitter to open the 10^th.
 
That walk was followed by a bunt single and a sacrifice to put runners at second and third. Tim Mansfield then delivered the biggest hit of the game with a single to right to give High Point the lead. A sacrifice fly followed, giving the Panthers a 4-2 advantage.
 
Stetson tried to rally in the bottom of the inning. Ben Rowdon delivered a one-out single and Jacob Koos followed suit to put the tying runs on base. After Murrah got Andrew MacNeil on strikes for the second out, Austin Bogart hit a ground ball up the middle that Hunter Lee misplayed, allowing Rowdon to score and Bogart reach third.
 
Murrah got out of the jam by getting Mike Spooner on a fly ball to right to end the game.
 
"We had more opportunities than they did in this game, but we didn't capitalize," Trimper said. "If we don't execute the things we need to do to get runners to second base, or to score them when they do get to second base, we have to play perfect. Tonight, we weren't perfect on the mound and we weren't perfect in the field, and that led to a loss."
 
Despite a second consecutive disappointing loss in a weekend series opener, Wilson said he is encouraged by what he sees from the young Stetson team.
 
"It is disappointing to lose, but it is also encouraging because you saw us go out there in the 10^th and try to fight back," Wilson said. "We have a lot of young guys and it is early in the season right now, but no one on this team was giving up."
 
The Hatters and Panthers will square off again on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m. For fans planning to attend the game, it will be "Bark in the Park" day with all dogs welcome.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.