Junior Danny Garcia had a career performance on Friday, fanning 11 Columbia hitters over six innings of work, but it was not enough as the Hatters fell to visiting the Lions 8-3.

Garcia's (1-1) 11 strikeouts were a career-high but he also surrendered three runs, two earned, on six hits with no walks. Garcia scattered the three runs, allowing one in the first on a solo homer, an unearned run in the fourth on a double and an error, and one in the sixth on a double and a sacrifice fly.

Stetson scored a single run in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Daniel Labrador.

The Lions plated three runs in the seventh off sophomore reliever Austin Amaral to push the lead to 6-1. Stetson answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on three doubles, with the two-base hit by Anthony DeFabbia plating runs.

The third Stetson error of the game came in the eighth just before the second Columbia homer of the night to account for the final runs.

DeFabbia led the way offensively for the Hatters, going 3-for-4 in the game with a double, a triple and two RBI. Freshmen Daniel Labrador and Juan Correa also chipped in with two hits each.

GAME NOTES

• Hatters pitchers combined to strike out 16 Columbia hitters in the game
• Columbia was led offensively by senior Tyler MacGregor, who went 2-for-5 with a triple, a home run and two RBIs.
• Lions' senior Sean Higgins (1-0) earned the win by throwing five innings of one-run ball. He had six strikeouts and walked just one.
• Freshman Cooper Smith made his collegiate debut with a shutout inning that included a pair of strikeouts. Fellow freshman, Andrew Estrella, also made his first game appearance.

This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

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