DELAND, Fla. - The Stetson Hatters took to the field at Melching Field on Sunday afternoon looking to secure a series win against the Delaware Blue Hens. Despite multiple rallys, the Hatters ultimately came up short, falling 8-6.

Deleware (3-4) threatened in the top of the first, opening the game with a pair of singles and using a stolen base to put two runners in scoring postion with just one out. Stetson (4-3) starter Dylan Owens buckled down though, getting a flyout for the second out before painting the inside corner with a 3-2 offering to freeze the Blue Hen hitter and escape the jam unscathed.

After a quick inning from Owens, right fielder Jayden Hylton put the Hatters on the board in the  bottom of the second, smashing a towering fly ball over the fence in left field to give Stetson a 1-0 lead with his third home run of the year.

Delaware would take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third with a 2-run single back up the middle, but the Hatters wasted no time in answering, as left fielder Evan Griffis and second baseman David Bermudez collected back-to-back two-out doubles to reset the score at 2-2 after three innings.

The teams continued to trade punches in the fourth, with Delaware taking a 4-2 lead in the top half of the inning and Stetson again answering immediately. Hylton was hit by a pitch to open the frame and pinch hitter Yohann Dessureault reached on an error, before catcher Christian Pregent and third baseman Drew Wyers drove in runs with a single and an RBI fielder's choice to once again tie things up.

The Blue Hens fired back in the sixth, again scoring a pair to retake the lead, 6-4. The Hatter return was slower this time, coming in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Griffis got things going with a one-out walk. Bermudez then hit a dribbler down the third base line, reaching first safely. Both Hatter baserunners were able to move up a base as the throw to first sailed wide.  A wild pitch scored Griffis and a sacrifice fly from first baseman Landon Moran drove in Bermudez, tying the score at 6-6.

Delaware would load the bases in the top of the eighth, but right-hander Nick Durgin was able to induce a weak groundout to keep the Blue Hens off the board. After the Hatters were unable to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, Durgin continued to roll, striking out the side in the top of the ninth.

Stetson had a strong chance to walk it off, when Griffis lead off with a walk and advanced all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt, but a strikeout, intentional walk, and double play erased the threat.

After Delaware pushed a pair across in the top of the 10th,  Stetson managed to push a runner to third base in the bottom of the inning, but ultimately fell 8-6.

The Hatters return to action on Tuesday night at Melching Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 PM.

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 (PDF).

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.
Print Friendly Version