After spotting visiting FIU six runs in the third inning on Wednesday night, the Stetson baseball team rallied two within two runs, but left the bases loaded twice down the stretch before falling to the Panthers 10-6.
 
FIU improved to 11-7 on the year with the win while the Hatters fell to 7-12.
 
Stetson scored four times in the sixth inning, and were poised to tie the game, but FIU's Michael Agis came out of the bullpen to strikeout Hatters senior Colton Lightner to end the threat. In the eighth inning, after FIU scored three times to push the lead back to five runs, it was Mike Spooner who was called out on a third strike to leave the bases loaded.
 
"We fought back and had more competitive at bats tonight," Hatters coach Steve Trimper said. "We are putting in a lot of time to try to make these adjustments, offensively, but when a team is not hitting it is often because they are not being aggressive enough. We are not attacking fastballs like we should.
 
"We got 12 hits tonight because we did a better job, but the strikeouts come when we get too passive."
 
Five FIU pitchers combined to record 12 strikeouts in the game. Panthers' freshman starter Tyler Myrick (2-0) had five in his 5.2 innings. Agis and Franklin Van Gurp, who pitched the eighth inning, had three each.
 
Stetson freshman Austin Bogart (0-2) was unable to get out of the third inning, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks. Joey Gonzalez surrendered three runs of his own, two earned, in 5.1 innings, but also allowed three runners inherited from Bogart to score in the third.
 
It was FIU first baseman Nick Day who welcomed Gonzalez to the game with a three-run double. He then came in to score on a double by Christian Khawam to cap the Panthers' six-run third inning.
 
Stetson got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a pair of walks, a pair of singles and a wild pitch, but left two runners on base. For the game, Stetson left a total of 10 runners on base, seven in scoring position.
 
FIU regained its six-run cushion in the fifth when Zach Files led off with a double and then scored on a two-out single by Adam Sevario.
 
"We can't give up a big inning early and then have an error to allow more runs later," Trimper said. "If we allow a one-run inning, we are still in the game, but when you give up a three and a six or whatever, it is about walks and errors. That is driving us crazy right now."
 
Stetson's big sixth inning started when Bogart blasted his fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot, to chase Myrick from the game. Austin Hale greeted reliever Gio Soto with a double. Soto then walked Jorge Arenas and hit Jack Gonzalez with a pitch to load the bases.
 
Agis came on with two out in the inning and hit Andrew MacNeil to force in a run before Jacob Koos singled through the right side to score another before Agis got Lightner on strikes.
 
The Panthers essentially put the game out of reach in the eighth, scoring three runs off Gonzalez. Javier Valdes plated one with a two-out single and Zack Soria drove in two more with a double.
 
Tyler Keller came on to pitch and got the final out of the inning.
 
Stetson got one final run in the ninth when Hale doubled home Kirk Sidwell.
 
The Hatters, led by Koos and Bogart with three hits each, out-hit FIU in the game 12-10. Spooner and Hale both had two hits on the night. Irving Lopez and Khawam led FIU with two hits each.
 
"We have to continue to get better," Trimper said. "We have got to be able to put all parts of the game together. It is going to come, but it is a slow process."
 
The Hatters will go back to work this weekend when they host Fairfield for a three-game series. Friday's game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start with Saturday's game set for 2 p.m. and Sunday's series finale scheduled for noon.
 
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.