Freshman Nick Durgin watched and waited during the first two games of Stetson's series against UMBC at Melching Field.
 
On Sunday, he put all of the information he had gained to good work, throwing eight shutout innings against the Retrievers, leading Stetson to a 5-0 series-clinching victory.
 
The Hatters improved to 8-2 on the year with the win while dropping UMBC to 1-7.
 
Durgin (2-0) made his intentions known early, striking out the side in the first inning. He was masterful for the next two hours, never facing more than four hitters in any inning while allowing just one UMBC player to advance as far as second base. He scattered five hits, didn't walk anyone and finished with six strikeouts.
 
Fellow freshman Kyle Yeoward closed out the game in the ninth, hitting the first batter before retiring the next three.
 
The Stetson offensive attack supported the pair of freshmen hurlers by scoring a pair of runs in the third inning, and then adding two more in the fifth to chase UMBC starter Kieran Garner (0-2).
 
Christian Pregent picked up the first hit of the day for Stetson, a double in the third, and scored the first run on a passed ball. Jorge Arenas followed with a single and scored all the way from first on a double by Kyle Ball for a 2-0 lead.
 
The Hatters added two more in the fifth when Jake Murphy, who reached on a walk, scored on an Arenas triple. Andrew MacNeil greeted reliever Colton Bare with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
 
Stetson also gave Durgin support in the form of solid defense. In the fifth inning alone, Murphy went high in the air at second base to snag a line drive, MacNeil followed up with a diving catch in the gap in right center and then Mark Townsend closed the inning with a shoestring grab of a sinking liner to left.
 
Junior Eric Foggo accounted for the final run of the day when he blasted a solo home run, his third of the year, off reliever Cameron Taylor in the eighth inning. Foggo and Arenas both finished the day with two hits to lead Stetson.
 
The Hatters will return to action on Wednesday night when they venture across Volusia County for a showdown against rival Bethune-Cookman at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start. The Wildcats (5-7) are coming off a 9-1 victory over FGCU on Sunday.
 
Stetson will be back at Melching Field on Friday when the Hatters open play in the annual Stetson Invitational against Ohio State. The tournament will also feature teams from Harvard and Fairfield, who will face each other at 12:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
 
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.