Daytona Beach, Fla. – On a night when Stetson freshman Austin Bogart was all set to have a breakout performance for the Hatters, it was Bethune-Cookman's sophomore Danny Rodriguez who turned out to be a show-stopper.
 
Rodriguez capped a five-hit performance with a walk-off home run leading off the 11^th inning to complete an improbable comeback for the home-standing Wildcats in a 9-8 victory at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
 
The preseason player of the year in the MEAC, Rodriguez had three doubles in the game, including one to open the Wildcats' six-run eighth inning. He capped that inning for BCU (5-2) with an RBI single to turn what had been an 8-1 Stetson lead into an 8-7 nail-biter.
 
The Hatters (4-5) loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but had a runner thrown out at third in the frame and failed to plate an insurance run. An error in the home half of the innings allowed the tying run to reach base, and a two-out single by Adonis Lao off Stetson junior Ben Onyshko (1-2) brought that run home to force extra innings.
 
After a quiet 10^th inning, the Hatters again loaded the bases in the 11^th inning but, once again, came up empty. Stetson would not get another chance.
 
Early in the night it was all Stetson.
 
Bogart, the Hatters' two-way player, made his first start on the mound while also hitting cleanup in the batting order. He limited the Wildcats to just one hit over four innings of work while delivering two hits of his own, including a three-run home run, to power Stetson to a 8-1 lead.
 
Bogart singled in a run and scored another in the Hatters' four-run third inning against B-CU starter TJ. Densmore. He then came back in the fifth inning with a long three-run homer over the hitting pavilion in leftfield off Wildcats' relief pitcher Brady Norris.
 
On the mound, Bogart, who was limited to 50 pitches in the game, worked four innings, allowing just one run on the one hit while walking two and striking out two.
 
The Wildcats had just four hits as a team going to the eighth, but the leadoff double by Rodriguez off Mitchell Senger got the Bethune offense going. After Senger hit a batter, Demetrius Sims delivered a hit through the left side to load the bases, bringing Jordan Stacy to the plate.
 
Stacy got new life in his at bat when Stetson freshman Brandon Morrow was unable to put a glove on a foul pop near the bag at third. He promptly ripped the next pitch through the left side to drive in a run. Senger then walked in a run before being lifted in favor of sophomore Joey Gonzalez.
 
Lao greeted Gonzalez with a clean hit into left, scoring two more runs. The Hatters appeared on the verge of getting out of the inning after a failed bunt attempt resulted in the first out and a ground ball to third produced the second, although with a run scoring. But, a walk brought Rodriguez back to bat, and his single capped the inning.
 
Joeseph Calamita (1-0) turned out to be the beneficiary of the comeback for the Wildcats. He came on to pitch in the 11^th with Stetson threatening to reclaim the lead, getting out of trouble by getting a popped up bunt, a ground ball to third that resulted in a force play at the plate, and a fly ball to center.
 
Stetson finished the game with a season-high 16 hits. Jacob Koos, Bogart, Kirk Sidwell, Jack Gonzalez, Colton Lightner and Andrew MacNeil had two hit each for the Hatters. Bethune-Cookman, which had just four hits in the first seven innings, finished with 11. Stacy and Lao had two each to go with the five from Rodriguez.
 
The Hatters will try to shake off the tough loss on Friday when they open play in the Westin Lake Mary Stetson Invitational. Stetson will play host to Saint Joseph's on Friday night at 7 p.m. Connecticut and Western Michigan will get the tournament started on Friday afternoon with a 1 p.m. game.
 
On Saturday it will be Saint Joseph's taking on Western Michigan in the early game with the Hatters facing Connecticut in the nightcap. Sunday will pit the Huskies against the Hawks at 11 a.m. before the Hatters square off with the Broncos at 3 p.m.
 
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.