During Friday night's series opening victory over Lipscomb, the Bisons showed Stetson senior Brooks Wilson the utmost respect by walking him twice intentionally instead of pitching to him with runners on base.
 
Faced with the same situation on Saturday, Lipscomb took their chances with two on and first base open, and Wilson made them pay. Wilson blasted a three-run home run, the first of his career, in the fifth inning to turn a 2-1 pitchers dual into a 5-1 Hatters lead that stood up until the end.
 
With the win, Stetson (27-8, 3-2 in ASUN play) clinched a series victory over the Bisons (15-18, 3-5). The win also gave the Hatters the same number of wins this spring as what the team posted during the entire 2017 season.
 
Stetson got off to a quick start on Saturday, scoring single runs, both unearned, in the second and third innings against Bisons starter Chris Kachmar (2-2). Nico Torino singled in the second, survived a Lipscomb error and scored on a two-out single by Jonathan Meola.
 
In the third, Mike Spooner reached on a one-out double and then came in to score on an infield hit by Wilson, thanks to a throwing error by the Bisons Lee Solomon at second base.
 
Stetson starter Jack Perkins (5-2) cruised through the first eight batters of the night before being struck by a bit of control problems. He walked two with two out in the third inning, but escaped without damage.
 
Perkins walked two more in the fourth, and surrendered a pair of hits to score a run. Lipscomb shortstop Blake Thomas drove in the run with a two-out single on an 0-2 pitch. The hit would have scored two runs to tie the game had it not been for a perfect throw from Jacob Koos in center to catcher Austin Hale, who tagged out his counterpart, Jeffrey Crisan, trying to score from second.
 
Perkins retired the next five Bisons he faced before allowing a two out single in the sixth. Senior Ben Onyshko came in from the pen to close out the inning for Stetson.
 
Perkins finished the night allowing just the one run on three hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
 
Wilson's big blow came in the fifth off Kachmar after Koos got things started with a one-out hustle double. A two-out walk to Jorge Arenas was followed by a wild pitch on the first offering to Wilson. With first base open, the Bisons decided to pitch to Wilson and, on a 2-1 pitch, he hit a no-doubter to right.
 
Onyshko stayed on the mound for Stetson into the eighth inning before giving the ball over to Wilson with one out and a runner on base. The Hatters' closer retired all four batters he faced to clinch the victory.
 
Wilson was the only player in the game with more than one hit. The trio of Hatters hurlers combined to limit Lipscomb to three hits in the game while posting 12 strikeouts.
 
The Hatters will try to get a series sweep on Sunday, but will have to get up very early to do it. The start time for the series finale has been moved up three hours, to 10 a.m., in order to get the game completed before forecasted thunderstorms roll into central Florida during the afternoon.

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.