Tampa, Fla. – On a night when pitching was the name of the game, Stetson was able to scratch out just enough offense to take a 6-0 victory over South Florida at USF Stadium.
 
It was the perfect way for Hatters coach Steve Trimper to post his 500^th career victory.
 
The win prevented USF (32-9) from sweeping the season series from Stetson (19-25) and allowed the Hatters to maintain a one-game lead in the all-time series, 85-84.
 
The shutout was also the sixth of the year for the Stetson pitching staff.
 
With no games on the schedule this weekend, the Hatters turned to their top pitchers to face the Bulls. Junior Brooks Wilson (3-4) worked the first five innings, allowing just three hits with nine strikeouts to get the win. Sophomore Jack Perkins closed out the final four frames for his first save, recording six strikeouts with one walk.
 
For Wilson, he became the first Hatter since Corey Kluber in 2007 to record at least 100 strikeouts in a season. He now stands ninth on the Stetson single-season list with 102 Ks on the year. Lenny DiNardo set the school season record with 132 strikeouts in 2000.
 
"USF is a quality opponent that has a great season going," Trimper said. "We played really well as a whole. It always starts and ends on the mound and we got a quality start and relief appearance by Wilson and Perkins and that set the tone. They pitched ahead all night, threw strikes with two pitches and kept and very good hitting team at bay."
 
After missing out on scoring chances in the first, third and fourth innings against USF starter D.J. Roberts, the Hatters were able to find success against the Bulls' pen.
 
Stetson scored all the runs it would need in the fifth. Ben Rowdon led off the inning with a double, and Jacob Koos followed with the third of his five hits to give Stetson runners on the corners. Koos stole second and, on the throw down, Rowdon stole home for the first run of the game.
 
"We ran the bases well," Trimper said. "We were struggling to score so we went with the fake squeeze and run which gave us a chance at the double steal. They had some passed balls and a throwing error that allowed us to add some runs."
 
After a passed ball moved Koos to third, and Jack Gonzalez walked, a throwing error by pitcher Collin Sullivan (0-1) on a pickoff attempt allowed Koos to score for a 2-0 lead.
 
Stetson pushed the lead to 5-0 in the seventh. Rowdon again got things started by drawing a walk. Koos followed with his fourth hit and Andrew MacNeil followed with a single to load the bases. Back-to-back passed balls plated two runs before Austin Hale singled to drive in another.
 
Rowdon was also the ignition as the Hatters scored their final run in the eighth inning. He reached on a two-out single and then scored on a double by MacNeil
 
Koos posted the first five-hit game for Stetson since Cory Reid had five against LIU Brooklyn on March 20, 2015. MacNeil added three hits while Rowdon had two and scored three runs.
 
"He hit the ball hard and had a couple of bloops drop in," Trimper said of Koos. "When he gets on base, he is such a threat to score because of how well he runs."
 
Garrett Zech and Andres Leal had two hits each for the Bulls, who were shutout for the first time this season.
 
"It is nice to get a win going into the week off and it was against a top 20 RPI team," Trimper said. "It shows we can play with anyone when we do the little things. If we can continue to do that, then we have a chance to have some success down the stretch."
 
The Hatters will enjoy a rare off weekend before returning to action at Melching Field next Tuesday night against Volusia County rival Bethune-Cookman. That game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start and will be Harry Potter Night, with costume contests and various promotions throughout the game.
 
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.