Nashville, Tenn. – Stetson got off to a fast start Friday night in the Hatters' ASUN series opener against Lipscomb, but it was the Bisons who ended up taking best advantage of scoring opportunities to take a 9-8 victory at Ken Dugan Field.
 
With the wind blowing out hard to left early in the game, both teams took advantage.
 
Stetson (18-23, 7-6) got a three-run homer from Baylen Sparks in the opening inning off Lipscomb (22-19, 6-7) starter Chris Kachmar (6-3). The Bisons came back in the bottom of the frame, getting a two-run homer from Tevin Symonette as part of a four-run inning off Stetson starter Chris Gonzalez (6-1) to open the see-saw battle.
 
Stetson reclaimed the lead in the second inning after Austin Bogart and Benito Varela opened the frame with consecutive hits. Kyle Ball singled home Bogart to tie the game, and then Varela scored on a sacrifice fly by Jorge Arenas to put the Hatters up 5-4.
 
The Bisons tied the game in the third inning when Chris Bashelor ripped a line drive homer to left. Lipscomb then took the lead in the fourth using small ball. A pair of bunt hits, a passed ball and a ground out to first put the Bisons on top 6-5.
 
Stetson went back on top, albeit briefly, in the sixth inning when Varela and Jacob Koos opened the frame with one-out hits. An error on a ground ball to third loaded the bases for Arenas, who singled in Varela to tie the game. Eric Foggo followed with a sacrifice fly.
 
Lipscomb came right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs and chasing Gonzalez from the game. The Bisons put a pair of runners on with a single to left and a walk before freshman Danny Garcia was called in to pitch. He walked the first two batters he faced, with a passed ball and a wild pitch mixed in, plating two runs for an 8-6 Bisons lead. A sacrifice fly plated another run, which proved to be crucial.
 
The Hatters got the first two runners on base in the seventh, but reliever Max Habegger came in from the Lipscomb to strike out three consecutive Stetson hitters to get the Bisons out of trouble.
 
Ball led off the eighth with a double off Lipscomb closer Robbie Knox, scoring on a sac fly by Foggo to close the gap to 9-8, but Knox avoided trouble the rest of the way to earn his sixth save of the year.
 
Stetson got two hits each from Ball, Mark Townsend, Bogart and Varela. Lipscomb was led by Brian Moore with three hits and Haddon Adams with two.
 
The Hatters will try to even the series, and snap a four-game losing skid, when they square off against the Bisons again on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. That game is scheduled to be streamed for free on Facebook Live.
 
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.