Robbie Peto put on a show Saturday evening at Melching Field, holding visiting Air Force hitless for six innings while striking out a career-high 12 in leading the Hatters to a 4-1 victory over the Falcons.
 
Peto, who came to Stetson last year with high expectations only to struggle to a 1-9 record during his first season, showed that he is a different pitcher this year. The redshirt junior from Monroe Township, NJ, struck out the side in dominant fashion to start the game and did not face more than four batters in any inning through the first six.
 
While Peto was holding the Falcons (1-2), who also lost to Manhattan 6-1 on Saturday, at bay, his teammates jumped on the Air Force starter, Stevan Fairburn, Jr., for an early run in the first inning and then added three more insurance runs in the fifth.
 
Kyle Ball led off the game with a double, but was thrown out at home on a ground ball by Nick DiPonzio. Mark Townsend made up for that with an RBI double to the wall in left center to plate the first run.
 
Fairburn (0-1) settled down after that, retiring the next 11 Stetson hitters before Eric Foggo led off the fifth with a double. Brandon Hylton followed with an RBI double and then freshman catcher Christian Pregent blasted the first home run of the year, a no-doubter to left, for a 4-0 Stetson lead.
 
Jason Shuger came on in relief for Air Force and kept the Hatters from adding on, holding Stetson to just two hits over the last three innings.
 
Falcons DH Ryan Stohr broke up the no-hitter with a double off the wall in left to open the seventh, but Peto shook it off to retire the next two Falcons. He appeared to get out of the inning when Christian Gamale hit a weak pop up to first base, but Pregent was called for catcher's interference on the play to keep the frame alive.
 
Peto hit Gabriel Garcia to load the bases before recording his 12^th, and final, strikeout to end the inning.
 
Freshman Kyle Yeoward came on in relief for the Hatters in the eighth, surrendering a double to Brandon Altorfer and a pair of infield singles to end the shutout, but got out of the inning with a ground ball. Yeoward gave up another hit through the infield in the ninth, but closed out the game with a strikeout.
 
Peto needed 111 pitches to work seven shutout innings with three walks and the 12 strikeouts. Pregent and Foggo led the Stetson offense with two hits each. Five of the nine Stetson hits in the game went for extra bases.
 
The Hatters will try to complete a weekend sweep on Sunday when freshman Nick Durgin makes his collegiate debut. Air Force is scheduled to counter with senior captain Jeff Gerlica. The right-hander is a native of Port St. Lucie, Fla. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
 
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.