Jacksonville, Fla. – Some teams just refuse to lose. The 2018 Stetson Hatters baseball team is just one of those teams.
 
After leading throughout Friday's game against Jacksonville in the ASUN Baseball Tournament, the Hatters saw their led evaporate and turn into an 8-6 deficit as the Dolphins scored five times in the ninth inning.
 
With not a shred of doubt in their minds, the Hatters came back in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs to walk-off with their 14^th consecutive victory, 9-8, and into Saturday's championship game.
 
Stetson will face the winner of Friday's late game between Jacksonville (39-18) and either Lipscomb or North Florida.
 
The last thing anyone at Harmon Stadium expected was for one of the nation's best closers to blow a save in the ninth inning. For the two players tied for the NCAA lead in saves this year to both blow a ninth inning save was completely unthinkable.
 
The Hatters (44-11) went to the ninth with a 6-3 lead and closer Brooks Wilson ready at a moment's notice. When JU opened the inning with consecutive singles off senior left-hander Ben Onyshko, Wilson got the call.
 
JU loaded the bases on a single by Evan Fernandez and then plated a run on a ground ball to second that was misplayed, allowing the Dolphins to close to with 6-4 with no one out. Ruben Someillan followed with a two-run single to tie the game, handing Wilson his first blown save of the year.
 
After getting the first out on a ground ball, cutting down a runner at home, Scott Dubrule doubled home two more runs, giving the Dolphins an 8-6 led. Wilson got out of the inning with a pair of fly balls, but the damage appeared to be done.
 
JU called on its closer, Chris Mauloni, to try to close out the game, but after getting the first out with a strikeout, the Hatters put together three consecutive hits from Mike Spooner, Jacob Koos and Wilson, scoring a run and putting the tying and winning runners on base.
 
The Dolphins went back to the pen and brought in freshman Trent Palmer, who managed to throw just three pitches as freshman Eric Foggo singled to tie the game, and sophomore Jorge Arenas followed with a game-winning hit to start the celebration.
 
Despite allowing three runs, Wilson got the win to improve to 6-0 on the year while Mauloni took the loss to fall to 3-2.
 
The dramatics in the final inning overshadowed an outstanding pitching performance by Jack Perkins for Stetson. The junior worked 7 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. JU scored a pair of runs off him in the eighth inning, on four hits, before Onyshko came on to get the Hatters out of the jam.
 
Stetson found offensive success early in the game against JU starter Tyler Santana, scoring a run in the first and three in the second  to take a 4-0 lead. Foggo had the first of his three hits in the opening inning to plate a run. Andrew MacNeil drove home the first run in the second before a two-run triple by Koos.
 
JU finally broke through against Perkins in the sixth. Chris Lehane reached on a one-out double and then moved up on a passed ball. Dubrule followed with a single to center to pate Lehane.
 
The Hatters got the run back in the bottom of the inning thanks to two walks, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Austin Hale.
 
After JU scored its two runs in the eighth, the Hatters got one back in the bottom of the inning when Foggo singled and then circled the bases on three wild pitches.
 
Koos and Foggo led the Hatters' 14-hit attack with three each while Hale and Spooner added two each. Dubrule led Jacksonville with three hits while Someillan and Fernandez added two each.
 
The Hatters return to the final day at the ASUN Tournament for the second time in three years, winning the 2016 tournament as the No. 6 seed. It will be the 13^th all-time appearance in the ASUN Championship for the Stetson program, with a 7-5 all-time record.
 
The Hatters will have a chance to do what no Stetson team has ever done – win the ASUN regular season and tournament titles in the same year.
 
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.