When junior catcher Danny Martin arrived at Melching Field for Sunday's series finale he glanced at the lineup posted in the locker room and was a little surprised to see his name.
 
The Miami native had played in just one game this year, catching the final inning on Tuesday at FIU in his hometown. Martin had not been in the starting lineup for the Hatters since April 30, 2019, and he had never even played in an ASUN Conference game.
 
That will likely change after his performance on Sunday, leading the Hatters to a 13-4 series-clinching victory over Florida Gulf Coast.
 
The Hatters improved to 16-8 overall and 2-1 in ASUN play with the win while dropping FGCU to 13-9, 1-2 in league play.
 
Martin, hitting ninth in the order, had four hits in five at bats on Sunday, drove in four runs and scored two. He had just two hits in his previous 14 career at bats for Stetson and had driven in just one run.
 
He got his day started in the Hatters' five-run second with an RBI single down the right field line that landed just out of the reach of FGCU second baseman Cam Krzeminski.
 
Martin came back to the plate in the third inning with a runner at first and one out. He got the signal for a hit-and-run, but got a pitch right down the middle, blasting it over the fence in left for a two-run homer and igniting a celebration in the Stetson dugout.
 
The hits continued in the fourth with an RBI single to left and in the sixth with a single up the middle. Martin missed out on having a five-hit day when he grounded out in the eighth.
 
But Martin wasn't the only hot hitter for Stetson. Banks Griffith also had four hits in the game. Both Jorge Arenas and Hernen Sardinas added a pair of hits as part of the Hatters' 16-hit attack.
 
While the offense was clicking, redshirt sophomore Bret Neilan and freshman Jonathan Gonzalez were keeping the Eagles' bats on ice. Neilan went the first four inning, leaving after allowing three straight hits and two runs to start the fifth. Gonzalez came in and did the rest, getting out of that jam and blanking FGCU until Ian Farrow hit a solo home run with two out in the ninth.
 
The Hatters will be back on the road for their next five games, starting Tuesday night in Tampa with the fifth, and final, game of the year against South Florida. Stetson will play at Jacksonville in ASUN play next weekend, with the series moved up to Thursday-Friday-Saturday to give the players off for Easter.
 
Game Facts

• Win – Jonathan Gonzalez (2-0)
• Loss – Mason Miller (2-2)
• Time – 2:54 

Scoring Summary

• B2 – The Hatters sent 11 batters to the plate, chasing FGCU starter Mason Miller while scoring five runs. Big hits including an RBI double by Jorge Arenas, a run-scoring single by Danny Martin, a two-run single by Kyle Ball and an RBI single by Hernen Sardinas.
• B3 – After Arenas was hit by a pitch, Martin lined a shot over the fence in left for a 7-0 Stetson lead.
• T4 – Consecutive doubles by Marc Coffers and Stephen Wilmer plated the first run of the day for FGCU.
• B4 – Stetson had eight consecutive hitters reach base against FGCU reliever Najer Victor. Eric Foggo plated a pair with a double and Arenas and Martin had RBI singles for an 11-1 Stetson lead.
• T5 – FGCU chased Hatters starting pitcher Bret Neilan with three consecutive hits to open the inning, plating a pair of runs on a Richie Garcia single. Jonathan Gonzalez came on to shut down the rally and protect an 11-3 lead.
• B5 – Kyle Ball reached on an error to open the inning and came in to score on a single by Banks Griffith.
• B6 – Singles by Nick DiPonzio and Martin produced a run thanks to a pair of wild pitches.
• T9 – Farrow got an 0-2 pitch that caught too much of the plate and hit it out to left for a solo home run, accounting for the final run of the day. 

Hatters Notes

• With the win, Stetson again tied the all-time series against FGCU at 21 wins each. The teams are scheduled to play four more times this season.
• Danny Martin made just the seventh start of his Stetson career, and his first since 2019. His first two at bats of the season went for an RBI single and a two-run homer, the first of his career.
• Martin is the 10^th Hatter to hit a home run this year.
• Martin became the first Stetson batter with four hits in a game since Eric Foggo hit for the cycle against Kennesaw State on April 18, 2019.
• Griffith joined Martin in going four-for-five in the game, picking up singles in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings.
• The last Stetson player with five hits in a game was Jacob Koos on April 26, 2017, at South Florida.
• Sardinas had multiple hits in his fifth straight game. He has had multiple hits in a game 10 times this year, including seven of the last eight games.
• With his two hits, Arenas is now five hits away from 200 in his career.

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.