The Stetson Hatters had a chance to earn a statement win on Tuesday night at Melching Field but, instead gave up 10 free base runners to visiting Florida State, leading to an 11-5 Seminoles victory.
 
The win was the 13^th straight for FSU (26-16) in the series with Stetson (18-25).
 
"I feel like we got our butts handed to us, but it was really just a bunch of walks and a couple of hits," Hatters coach Steve Trimper said. "You can't walk that many guys, I don't care who you are playing. When you give up 10 freebies to a decent team, you are going to be playing catch up all night.
 
"You have to win these games by scoring four or five runs and throwing the ball over the plate. I wish we took what we do in the bullpen and take it into the game. It is unfortunate that some of our guys perform differently in practice than they do in the games."
 
The bright spots for the Hatters in the game came from the top of the order when sophomore Jacob Koos and junior Austin Hale had three hits each. That duo gave Stetson a chance to get off to a good start in the first inning when Koos reached on an error and Hale walked, but FSU starter Drew Parrish (4-2) got Jack Gonzalez and Jorge Arena on pop ups to second to get out of the inning.
 
Parrish, normally a weekend starter for the Seminoles, threw seven innings on Tuesday. The Hatters got to him for five runs on seven hits and he struck out just three, but he also walked only one.
 
FSU got on the board in the second against Stetson freshman Ryan Stark (2-3). A single by Quincy Nieporte was followed by a pair of walks to load the bases before Nick Derr, who was a late addition to the 'Noles lineup, delivered a sacrifice fly.
 
Stark surrendered two more runs in the third. Taylor Walls opened the inning with a single and scored on a double down the leftfield line by Dylan Busby. After a ground ball moved Busby to third, Nieporte delivered a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 FSU lead.
 
Koos and Hale both singled to open the third inning for Stetson and Mike Spooner got the Hatters on the board with a slow grounder to second to score Koos from third. The hit extended his team season-best hit streak to 10 games.
 
"They both swung it pretty well against a pretty good pitcher," Trimper said. "He has a very good changeup and is tough on righties. Some of our bottom of the order guys didn't do a very good job with very little contact. We are still trying to find a lineup that will give us something down the stretch."
 
FSU plated three more runs in the fourth, chasing Stark in the process. Drew Mendoza singled to open the inning before Stark hit Matt Henderson with a pitch. Derr put down a sacrifice bunt, but the Hatters tried to cut down the runner at third, loading the bases.
 
Joey Gonzalez was called in from the pen and gave up a two-run single to J.C. Flowers before FSU pulled off a double steal to make it 6-1. Gonzalez walked the leadoff hitter in the fifth before giving way to Mitchell Senger, who walked the first two hitters he faced to load the bases. Derr delivered another sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.
 
Stetson got that run back in the bottom of the inning with the duo of Koos and Hale again doing the damage. Koos delivered a two-out triple, his first of the year, before Hale singled him home.
 
FSU blew the game open in the sixth, scoring four more runs, all off Senger. The Seminoles had four hits, including an RBI double from Nieporte, and took advantage of three walks and an error.
 
Stetson scored its final runs in the seventh with Koos and Hale again keying the rally. Nico Torino was hit by a pitch to start the frame before Koos delivered his third hit of the day. Hale then blasted his third home run of the year for his third hit, accounting for the final runs of the day.
 
The Hatters were able to keep FSU off the board over the final three innings things to strong work on the mound from Ben Onyshko, who struck out a season-high six while allowing just two hits.
 
"We keep talking about opportunities, well he got one and I hope he can repeat it," Trimper said. "We need that kind of performance when the game is tight. It was certainly a positive step for Ben and we are proud that he went out and competed in that situation. The next time he gets his opportunity he has to be ready to compete in the same manner."
 
Besides the three hits each from Koos and Hale, freshman Austin Bogart had a pair of hits in the game to go with two outstanding diving catches in the outfield.
 
Walls led FSU with three hits while Busby and Nieporte had two each.
 
The Hatters will play their final game of the week Wednesday night in Tampa when they take on the 26^th ranked Bulls of USF (32-8). Stetson will be trying to avoid a season sweep and is expected to use weekend starters Brooks Wilson, Jack Perkins and Logan Gilbert in three innings stretches on the mound.
 
The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start from USF Stadium.
 
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.