Spartanburg, SC – It is rare when a baseball game, especially one as close as the Hatters' 5-2 loss at USC Upstate on Friday, is decided in the first inning, but that is basically what happened in Stetson's ASUN series opener.
 
The Hatters had a golden opportunity to get the game started the right way, but instead got a strikeout-throw out double play to leave the first inning empty handed. The host Spartans came right back, getting a two-out, two-run home run from J.J. Shimko in the bottom of the frame, and that was basically the game.
 
"They walked our leadoff guy, we got a 3-2 count on the next batter and got a fastball down the middle," Hatters coach Steve Trimper said. "He swung through it and we got the runner thrown out on the play. That could have been a big inning for us if we could have just made contact to get him over.
 
"They came back and got the two-run homer. That took the wind out of our sails, but we have to be able to fight back from that. One or two runs in the first inning should never knock the wind out of you in a big conference game."
 
The loss for Stetson (16-24, 6-4) was the Hatters' fifth in the last six games. Upstate (18-23, 3-7) won its second straight and kept the Spartans hopes of making the ASUN Tournament alive.
 
Stetson finally got some offense going in the fourth inning against Spartans starter Jordan Miller when Jack Gonzalez opened the frame with a double to the gap in left-center. After Jorge Arenas hit a deep fly that Upstate leftfielder Pat Raiff caught as he crashed face-first into the wall, Austin Hale delivered a double to get the Hatters on the board with just one out. Hale never left second after his big hit, spoiling a chance to tie the game.
 
Upstate answered that run in the bottom of the inning when Shimko doubled to right center off the Hatters Brooks Wilson (2-4) and advanced to third on an error. Russ Schertfeger singled Shimko home to push the Spartans' lead to 3-1.
 
Upstate put the game on ice in the sixth, scoring twice. Charlie Carpenter doubled to open the inning and then, after a Shimko single, scored on a ground out. The Spartans added their sixth run on a single by Raiff after an error extended the inning.
 
Wilson worked six innings on the mound for Stetson, allowing three earned runs on seventh hits. His six strikeouts increased his NCAA lead to 93 for the year.
 
Stetson got its only other run in the seventh inning off Spartans reliever Conner Campbell (1-0) on a ground out by Mike Spooner, scoring Ben Rowdon from third. Upstate's Eric Birklund retired all six Hatters he faced over the last two innings, four on strikes, to earn his first save of the year.
 
I am trying to find a way to get this team motivated," Trimper said. "I know there is no place that I would rather be than in conference games trying to move up in the standings. We didn't come out with any energy tonight. We can talk about it all we want, but we have to bring it."
 
Rowdon had three of the eight hits in the game for Stetson while Hale had two. Shimko fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle, drove in two runs and scored two to lead the Spartans. Carpenter also had a pair of hits in the game for Upstate.
 
On the mound, senior Tyler Keller retired the final four Upstate hitters on the night, three on strikes, in his 100^th career pitching appearance for the Hatters.
 
Stetson will try to bounce back on Saturday when the Hatters and Spartans play a double-header. Sunday's game was moved up a day in anticipation of bad weather. The twin-bill will get started at 1 p.m.
 
"We did it at Tulane and at the Citadel, we have to come out tomorrow and try to win a series," Trimper said. "We need to gain some ground in the conference and knock these guys back a little. It is an important day tomorrow. It is a golden opportunity to gain some ground, but we won't be on the right end of things if we play like we did today or come out flat again. I can light all the fires you want, but they have to perform. They have to understand how big these games are."
 
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.