Stetson fans may have to start calling the mid-week outings for junior Joey Gonzalez "Shutout Tuesdays".
 
Gonzalez combined with junior reliever Vlad Nunez for a 6-0 shutout of Army West Point on Tuesday night at Melching Field. It was the third start of the year for Gonzalez (4-0) and the third shutout for the Hatters in his starts.
 
The win improved Stetson's record to 14-1 overall and was the ninth straight win for a Hatters team that came into the week ranked 28^th in the nation in the NCBWA poll. Army fell to 6-8 on the year, dropping its fourth straight contest.
 
The teams will meet again on Wednesday night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
The shutout, which was the sixth of the year for Stetson, lowered the Hatters' season ERA to 1.60, moving Stetson past Hofstra into first place in the NCAA. The Hatters also surrendered just two hits to the Black Knights, lowering the opponents' batting average for the season to .143.
 
Gonzalez worked six innings to get the win. He allowed both hits, one of which was an infield roller that deflected off his glove and prevented a likely double play. Gonzalez also walked three and struck out seven on the night. Nunez worked the final three frames to earn his first save of the year. He struck out four and walked one in his outing.
 
Even with the dominant pitching the Hatters put on display, the game was in jeopardy until the final three innings. Stetson was finally able to push two runs across in the sixth against Army starter Jacob Carte (0-2). After Jacob Koos led off the inning with a single and was caught trying to steal – one of five caught stealing in the game for Stetson – Andrew MacNeil reached on an infield hit and scored all the way from first on a double into the left field corner by Baylen Sparks.
 
Austin Hale followed with an RBI single, chasing Carte from the game and giving the Hatters a 2-0 lead.
 
Stetson stretched the advantage to 5-0 in the seventh, sending nine men to the plate in the inning. Austin Bogart led off with a double, which was followed by two pitching changes and two walks to load the bases. Nico Torino then unloaded them with a double to score all three runs.
 
Bogart got the final run in the eighth when he reached on a throwing error and came in to score on a single by Bruce Martin.
 
Koos led the Hatters with his third three-hit game in the last five, running his hitting streak to six games. Sparks also had a pair of hits as part of Stetson's 12-hit attack on the night.
 
The Hatters will try to run their win streak to 10 games on Wednesday. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher for the game. A victory would produce the first 10-game win streak for Stetson since the 2007 season.
 
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.