Lynchburg, Va. – The Stetson Hatters got one tremendous pitching performance on Saturday afternoon at the Liberty Baseball Stadium and then struggled on the mound in the second game, splitting a double-header against ASUN leading Liberty.
 
The Hatters took the first game of the day 3-2 behind a near complete-game effort from sophomore Chris Gonzalez. Stetson pitchers allowed 10 free base-runners on nine walks and a hit batter in a 12-6 loss to the Flames in the nightcap.
 
With the split, the Hatters are now 16-18 on the year, including a 5-3 mark in ASUN play. Liberty now stands at 26-8 with an 8-3 league record.
 
The teams will be back on the field early on Sunday, with a scheduled start time of 10 a.m., in hopes of getting the rubber game of the series completed before more rain and thunderstorms roll into the area.
 
Game 1 – Stetson 3, Liberty 2
 
Gonzalez (5-0) came one out shy of his second complete game of the season, giving way to senior Vlad Nunez after putting the potential tying and winning runs on base in the ninth inning with two out. Nunez came on to get a pop up to short to earn his eighth save of the year.
 
Gonzalez allowed just four hits while walking three over his 8.2 innings of work. He struck out three in the game while throwing 126 pitches.
 
Stetson got on the board in the fourth inning against Liberty starter Andrew McInvale when Eric Foggo blasted a home run in to the Flames' bullpen in left. Liberty came right back in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk and a bloop single to score on a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 1-1.
 
That was where things stayed until the eighth inning when the Hatters got to Liberty closer Evan Brabrand (2-1) for a run, just the second he had allowed all year. Baylen Sparks singled with one out and then Andrew MacNeil delivered a pinch-hit double into the right field corner to score Sparks all the way from first.
 
The Flames once again answered in the bottom of the inning, getting a pair of hits, one on a bunt, and then getting another sacrifice fly to tie the score once again at 2-2.
 
Stetson took the lead for good in the ninth. Austin Bogart opened the inning with a single, but was erased on a sacrifice bunt attempt. With Austin Dilbert on to run, Kyle Ball delivered a hit-and-run single to put runners on the corners. Senior Jacob Koos, who picked up career hits 199 and 200 earlier in the game, hit a sinking line drive to left, deep enough for Dilbert to scamper home with the winning run.
 
Game 2 – Liberty 12, Stetson 6
 
The second game of the day had a different feel from the start as neither starting pitcher – Stetson freshman Daniel Paret (2-1) and Liberty's Noah Skirrow – was especially sharp.
 
The Hatter jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when Benito Varela blasted a two-run homer, his third of the year. Liberty got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when, after retiring the first two hitters, Paret hit a batter and walked another before surrendering an RBI single to Jonathan Embry.
 
Stetson answered in the third, scoring when Koos opened the inning with a hit, moved up to second on an errant pickoff throw, and then scored on a single by Sparks.
 
The Flames came right back in the bottom of the inning, getting a pair of singles to open the inning when Cam Locklear hit a three-run homer to give Liberty its first lead of the day, 4-3.
 
Stetson came right back, tying the game in the fourth when Foggo led off with a single and scores two outs later on a single by Ball.
 
Like a heavyweight title fight, the Flames answered that blow with three more runs in the bottom of the inning, ending the day for Paret, who again retired the first two hitters before running into trouble. Tyler Galazin singled to chase Paret and then stole second on the first pitch from Bret Neilan.
 
Brandon Rohrer delivered a run-scoring double to put the Flames on top for good and then Logan Mthieu hit a two-run homer for a 7-5 Liberty lead.
 
Stetson got back to within a run, 7-6, in the bottom of the inning when Koos and Jorge Arenas delivered consecutive doubles to chase Skirrow from the game. Liberty turned to junior Garret Price (5-1) to get them out of the jam. He made an error on Sparks' sacrifice bunt attempt, leaving Stetson with runners at the corners. E.J. Donskow then hit into a double play, scoring Arenas from third.
 
That was the end of the Hatters' offensive production for the night.
 
Price went the rest of the way on the mound for Liberty, allowing just two base-runners, on a walk and a hit-by-pitch, over the final four frames. He finished with seven strikeouts in his five innings of work.
 
With Price slamming the door on Stetson, the Flames kept up the offensive pressure. Liberty scored a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and then plated four in the seventh against three Hatters pitchers despite getting just two hits in the inning. Five walks did most of the damage before Ben Highfill's two-run single.
 
Overall, Koos had four hits on the day for Stetson while Sparks had three. Rohrer led Liberty with three hits on the day.
 
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.