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Nick DiPonzio
Steve Simoneau
5
Winner Stetson STET 24-20, 10-8 ASUN
4
North Florida UNF 18-20, 11-7 ASUN
Winner
Stetson STET
24-20, 10-8 ASUN
5
Final
4
North Florida UNF
18-20, 11-7 ASUN
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Stetson STET 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 5 7 1
North Florida UNF 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 4 6 2

W: Long, Nick (1-1) L: KILFOYL, Darin (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Ricky Hazel, Associate AD

Hatters Show Guts, Rally Past UNF 5-4

Jacksonville, Fla. – Nick DiPonzio found himself watching Sunday's game at Harmon Stadium between the Stetson Hatters and UNF with the Ospreys using LHP Austin Bogart to start the game.
 
DiPonzio got his chance to contribute in the ninth inning, delivering a pinch-high single to score Jake Murphy from second with the go-ahead run as the Hatters avoided a sweep, taking a 5-4 victory in the series finale.
 
It won't be the final time the Hatters (24-20, 10-8) and Ospreys (18-20, 11-7) will meet. With UNF leading the season series 4-2, the teams will play a non-conference game next Sunday before opening a best-of-three ASUN Divisional Play-In series on Friday, May 21. The game next weekend, as well as the ASUN series, will be played on UNF's home field.
 
Bret Neilan gave the Hatters a chance from the mound, making a solid start with Stetson short-handed in the bull pen. Neilan retired the first 12 batters he faced before allowing two runs in the fifth inning on two walks and a pair of singles.
 
Bogart also pitched well in the game against his former teammate, with only a pair of solo home runs denting his ledger through the first seven innings.
 
After a more than 15-minute delay in the action before the sixth inning - plate umpire Doug Lee left the field, suffering from the heat of the day - the Ospreys jumped on Stetson reliever Gavin Sullivan to plate the go-ahead run. Sullivan allowed just the one run in 1.2 innings before turning the game over to Nick Long.
 
The Hatters got to Bogart in the eighth inning after a UNF error opened the door, with Stetson converting that error into two runs. An error by the Hatters gave one of those runs right back in the bottom of the inning as the Ospreys took advantage to score the tying run.
 
It was another error by the Ospreys in the ninth that opened the door for DePonzio to drive home the winning run. Long surrendered a walk to put the tying run on base in the bottom of the inning, but got Abraham Sequera on a ground ball and Alex Kachler on a fly out to end the game.
 
The Hatters managed just seven hits in the game while Stetson pitching held the Ospreys to six hits in the game.
 
Stetson will get its final chance at Florida on Tuesday night in DeLand. That game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start and is sold out. The Hatters will close the regular season next weekend, hosting Jacksonville on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. before returning to Harmon Stadium next Sunday for a 3 p.m. start against the Ospreys. Those games will not count in the ASUN standings.
 
Game Facts
  • Win – Nick Long (1-1)
  • Loss – Darin Kilfoyl (0-1)
  • Time – 2:22 
Scoring Summary
  • T1 – Andrew MacNeil hit the second pitch of the game way out of the park to right for a 1-0 Stetson lead.
  • T4 – Banks Griffith lined a home run down the left field line to put Stetson on top 2-0.
  • B5 – After walking a pair, Neilan surrendered his first hit to Justin Holmes, who singled to center to plate the first UNF run. Tanner Clark followed with a hit to left, tying the game 2-2.
  • B6 – Abraham Sequera greeted Stetson's Gavin Sullivan with a double and then came in to score on a single by Cade Westbrook, giving UNF a 3-2 lead.
  • T8 – MacNeil reached on a one out error and then moved to third on a double by Kyle Ball. Hernen Sardinas followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game and then Brandon Hylton singled to right to score Ball for a 4-3 Stetson lead.
  • B8 – A dropped fly ball put a runner in scoring position for the Ospreys. After a ground ball put the tying run at third, Blake Marabell was hit by a pitch. Aidan Sweatt tied the game with a single through the left side.
  • T9 – Eric Foggo reached with one out when his hot smash to short was misplayed and ruled an error. Pinch runner Jake Murphy went to second on a balk and then scored on a single to center by DiPonzio. 
Hatters Notes
  • MacNeil's home run was his seventh of the season, a career-high. His leadoff homer also marked the 20th time this season he has reached base to start a game. The homer also extended MacNeil's career-best hitting streak to nine games.
  • Griffith's fourth inning home run was his first as a Hatter, and the third of his career. He is the 11th different player to homer for Stetson this year.
  • The win on the mound for Nick Long was his first in a Stetson uniform and just the second of his career. His only other collegiate win came in 2018 as a member of the Florida baseball team, with 2.1 shutout innings of relief against Bethune-Cookman on February 21.
 
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.
 
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