DELAND, Fla. - The Stetston Hatters saw first pitch for Saturday's game against Kennesaw State at Melching Field moved up by five hours in an attempt to avoid forecasted bad weather, but they seemed unaffected by the time change, notching 14 runs on 12 hits to defeat KSU 14-9 and secure the win in their first ASUN series of the season.

Stetson (13-8, 2-0 ASUN) took the lead in the third inning, thanks to an RBI fielder's choice from third baseman Yohann Dessureault and a sacrifice fly off the bat of first baseman Landon Moran to go up 2-0, before Kennesaw State (8-9, 0-2 ASUN) evened things back up with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings. 
 
Left fielder Evan Griffis got things going for the Hatters in the fifth, drawing a one-out walk and stealing second before coming in to score on a double from Dessureault, who then came around to score on a single by catcher Christian Pregent to put Steton back on top, 4-2.

That lead wouldn't last, however, as the Owls would put up six runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to take over at 9-6.

Stetson would respond immediately, when Dessureault drew a one-out walk, Moran ripped a single through the left side, and Pregent worked another walk to bring up second baseman Andrew Estrella with one out.  After fouling a pitch off, Estrella ripped a grand slam off the scoreboard in left-center field to cut the KSU lead to 9-8.

Righty Nick Guzzi came out of the pen to start the eighth looking to keep things close for the Hatters, and he accomplished just that, striking out a pair to keep the Owls off the board and the deficit at just one run.

Stetson immediately started to rally in the bottom of the frame, as shortstop Lorenzo Meola worked a full-count walk to lead off and center fielder Cameron Hill launched his second home run of the season to put the Hatters up 10-9. Stetson wasn't done though, getting runs driven in from Estrella, right fielder Jayden Hylton, and Meola to push the lead to 14-9.

Lefty Anthony DeFabbia worked the ninth, shutting KSU down in order to end the game. Estrella had a huge day at the plate for Stetson, going 3-for-5 with a grand slam, five RBI and two runs scored, while Hill and Dessureault each drove in a pair. Dessureault scored three runs in the game, and HIll, Griffis, Pregent, Estrella, and Meola all scored a pair of runs.
 
The Hatters return to the MAC tomorrow at 1:00 PM, looking for the sweep. 

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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