Redshirt sophomore Nick Durgin made his long-awaited return to the mound for Stetson on Friday night, but it was fellow sophomore Austin Amaral who stole the show. The duo combined to toss a one-hit shutout in the series opener against Florida A&M, helping the Hatters to a 2-0 victory.
Durgin started on the mound, but was on a strict pitch count. He threw 51 pitches in his four innings of work, going four shutout innings while giving up one hit with no walks and five strike outs. Amaral (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen, throwing five no-hit innings in relief with a career-high 10 strikeouts, including the final four outs of the game.
Freshman Andrew Estrella led the way offensively for the Hatters (8-5), going 2-for-3 in the game with a pair of doubles. Sophomore Camden Traficante drove Estrella home with a two-out single in the fifth inning to provide the only run the Hatters really needed. Traficante added the second Stetson run in the eighth inning when he and Cameron Hill drew consecutive walks, moved up on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on the third FAMU error of the game.
FAMU starter Hunter Vietz (1-2) took the loss despite allowing just the one run on four his over his six innings of work.
The Hatters will look to take the series on Saturday night, weather permitting. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Melching Field.
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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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