FORT MYERS, Fla. - Homestanding FGCU scored five runs in the sixth inning on Friday night at Swanson Stadium to turn a tight game into a 9-4 loss for the visiting Stetson Hatters
Sophomore Nick Durgin (1-3) got the ball to start for Stetson (18-19, 5-11) and took the loss. He surrendered five runs, all earned, on nine hits over his 5.1 innings of work, walking two and striking out two. The one-out single he allowed to FGCU's Logan Sartori turned into the winning run with Durgin in the dugout when Nick Chiseri walked the only batter he faced before Ian Farrow welcomed Austin Amaral to the game with an RBI double.
The Eagles (24-14, 9-7) then scored four more runs in the frame on three more walks - two with the bases loaded, an RBI single by Alejandro Figueredo and a ground out.
FGCU starter Jason Woodward (5-3) combined with a pair of Eagles relievers to blank the Hatters the rest of the way. Woodward worked a total of 6.2 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits, before giving way to Gus Carter to close out the seventh inning. Tyler Tipton blanked Stetson over the final two frames.
Stetson showed they had come to play early in the game after FGCU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Stetson scored single runs in each of the next four innings, tying the game at 3-3 in the fourth and again at 4-4 in the fifth.
At the plate, the Hatters were led by senior Nick DiPonzio, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Freshman Daniel Labrador hit his third homer of the year to get the scoring started for Stetson, but the Hatters managed just six hits in the game.
Farrow and Sartori led the Eagles' 15-hit attack with four hits each.
The teams will be back on Saturday for the second game of the series with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
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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