Lynchburg, Va. – The Stetson Hatters gave their head coach Steve Trimper the only thing he wanted for his 52^nd birthday – a series clinching victory over #15 Liberty.
 
Behind sophomore right-hander Cole Stallings (4-1) the Hatters took a decisive 7-1 victory over the Flames (15-7, 3-3), snapping a stretch of 19 consecutive series wins at Worthington Field for Liberty.
 
Stallings, who was bed-ridden last week with a stomach bug, went six shutout innings on the mound to earn the win. He allowed just three hits and walked four with five strikeouts.
 
The Hatters gave Stallings all the runs he would need in the third inning when Jakob Bullard tripled in a pair of runs off Liberty starter Max Alba (2-1) and then scored himself on a single by Brandon Hylton. The triple extended Bullard's hitting streak to 13 games.
 
Stetson pushed its lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning when Cameron Hill double to the wall in center, scoring Daniel Labrador and Camden Traficante.
 
That was where the score remained until the ninth inning when Labrador blasted a solo homer, his second of the year, to right center off Liberty reliever Tyler Germanowski. After Traficante drew a walk and Hill reached on an infield single, Andrew Estrella was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A passed ball allowed Traficante to score for a 7-0 lead.
 
Liberty scored its only run in the bottom of the ninth after three consecutive singles loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Ryan Shieh drew a bases loaded walk to force in the only Flames run.
 
Hill, who has reached base in 18 consecutive games and hit safely in 10 straight, had another three-hit game to lead the Hatters. Hylton and Labrador also had a pair of hits in the game.
 
The Hatters will return to Volusia County, but will be on the road Wednesday night against Bethune-Cookman at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Stetson will host North Florida for a three-game series at Melching Field next weekend.
 
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. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.