The Stetson Hatters had plenty of chances to take home a second consecutive ASUN Tournament title on Sunday at Melching Field, but struggled to deliver with runners on base in a 4-3 tournament championship game loss to Liberty.
 
The Hatters finish the 2019 season with a 27-32 record. Liberty awaits its assignment to the NCAA Tournament with a 42-19 mark in the Flames' first season as a member of the ASUN.
 
Stetson had scoring chances throughout the game on Sunday, including the ninth inning when Andrew MacNeil and Jorge Arenas got hits to but the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base, but Liberty closer Evan Brabrand got freshman Noah Dickerson to hit a ground ball to second to end the threat and clinch the title for the Flames. The save for Brabrand was his 13^th of the year.
 
The two runners Stetson left on base in the inning ran the tally to 11 stranded on the day. For the tournament, the Hatters left a total of 47 runners on base.
 
Liberty took advantage of a pair of walks from Stetson senior Vlad Nunez in the second inning, getting a two-run single from Ben Highfill to take an early lead. After a sacrifice bunt moved the two runners into scoring position, Gray Betts delivered a two-run single up the middle for a 4-0 Liberty lead.
 
Sophomore Robbie Peto came on in relief of Nunez (2-3) to get the Hatters out of the inning with no further damage. He combined with juniors Ryan Stark and Austin Bogart to blank the Flames over the final six innings, allowing a combined three hits and three walks over that time.
 
That 4-0 Liberty lead was where the game stayed as Flames starter Andrew McInvale (10-2) thwarted the Hatters for the first six innings, allowing five hits and three walks, but no runs.
 
It was not until Brabrand came into the game that the Hatters were able to manufacture some scoring. Nick Cardier led off the seventh with a bloop single to right-center. MacNeil followed and was hit by a pitch to put two on base. Brabrand battled back, getting strikeouts of Jacob Koos and Eric Foggo before Arenas laced a hit into the left field corner.
 
Betts bobbled the ball on the play, allowing Cardieri and MacNeil to score. Dickerson, who had doubles in both the fourth and sixth innings, followed with a ground ball to short that went right through the legs of Cam Locklear, allowing Arenas to score.
 
It appeared as if the inning would go on when Kyle Ball was hit on the hand by a pitch, but the umpires ruled that the pitch hit off the knob of the bat for a foul ball. Ball flight out to deep left on the next pitch to end the inning.
 
Cardieri, Dickerson and Arenas led Stetson, which had nine hits in the game to just six for Liberty, with two hits each. Betts and Tyler Galazin had two hits each for the Flames. Tournament MVP Jonathan Embry, who was also the player of the year in the league, was held hitless in the game after walking three times, snapping his 13-game hit streak.
 
Stetson placed three players on the All-Tournament team with pitchers Danny Garcia and Chris Gonzalez joining with Foggo. Joining Embry on the team for Liberty were McInvale, Locklear, Betts and Brandon Rohrer.
 
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.