Jacksonville, Fla. – On a day when the Stetson baseball team needed to play its best game, a disastrous opening inning on Sunday put the Hatters behind the eight ball in a 6-1 loss to Jacksonville.
 
The Dolphins (29-23, 12-9) completed a weekend sweep with the win and clinched a spot in the ASUN Tournament. The Hatters (21-29, 9-11) will go into the final weekend of the season needing to win to get in to the event, which will be played at Melching Field May 22-25.
 
Things got off to a terrible start for the Hatters and sophomore starting pitcher Robbie Peto (1-9). After allowing a walk to the leadoff hitter, Stetson got a ground ball that could have been a double play, but turned into the first of three errors in the frame.
 
Consecutive singles plated a run before another potential double play grounder that recorded the first out of the inning, but followed with two throwing errors, allowing two runs to score. Another single made it 4-0 Dolphins early.
 
Jacksonville added to its lead in the third when Jacob Southern led off with a triple and then scored on a ground out. Danny Garcia came on during the inning for Stetson, getting the final two outs to strand a runner.
 
Stetson offensive woes continued against JU starter Austin Temple (4-3), who scattered four hits over six innings with four strikeouts before a lightning delay in the middle of the sixth inning.
 
Stetson had its best chance of the day in the eighth inning when Andrew MacNeil (HBP) and Austin Bogart (BB) reached base ahead of a double by Koos. Jacksonville called on last years' All-America closer, Chris Mauloni, and he got the final two outs in the inning to strand two runners on base.
 
Jacksonville came right back in the bottom of the inning, getting a leadoff triple from Ruben Someillan and an RBI single from Dakota Julylia.
 
Mauloni took care of the Hatters in the ninth to secure his second save of the year after he recorded 20 last year. The loss for Stetson was the Hatters' marked the 23^rd time this year the team was held to three or fewer runs in a game.
 
Stetson will open its final four-game home-stand of the year on Tuesday when the Hatters host FIU at 6:30 p.m. for Bark in the Park night. The Hatters will then host North Florida for a three-game series starting Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.
 
It will be the final home series for five Stetson seniors – Jacob Koos, Baylen Sparks, Vlad Nunez, Bruce Martin and Jeremy Orbik.
 
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.