CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Stetson bats were on display for the second time in as many nights on Friday, as the Hatters collected four home runs en roue to a 13-run, 17-hit night. The Hatters, who were looking for their seventh ASUN series win, came up short though, falling to the Queens University Royals 14-13 in walk-off fashion.
After Stetson (32-21, 19-10 ASUN) struck early and often in Thursday's series opener, Queens (17-37, 9-20 ASUN) returned the favor on Friday, striking six times in the first for the 6-0 lead.
Both sides were quiet over the next three innings, with Stetson reliever
Nick Durgin and Royals starter Jeffrey Maidhof scattering four hits and four punchouts over the next three and a half innings.
Queens would buck the trend with a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-0, before the Hatters finally got the bats going in the top of the sixth. Shortstop
Lorenzo Meola opened the inning with his third home run of the season. After first baseman
Landon Moran roped a two-out double to center field, designated hitter
Brandon Hylton picked up a two-run blast, his sixth of the year, to cut it to 7-3 Queens.
Queens pushed the advantage back to four runs in the bottom of the inning, but Stetson responded in the seventh, getting back-to-back RBI doubles from second baseman
Andrew Estrella and Meola to cut the deficit to three runs at 8-5. The Hatters then got RBI singles from center fielder
Cameron Hill,
Brandon Hylton, and right fielder
Jayden Hylton to even things up at 8-8.
The Hatter offense continued to roll in the eighth, when Hill picked up his second RBI single in as many innings to give Stetson its first lead of the night. Moran then extended the lead, driving an 0-1 offering well over the fence in right field to make it 11-8 Stetson.
The Royals would get a pair back in the bottom of the eighth to cut it to 11-10 Stetson, but Estrella took them right back in the ninth, blasting a two-run shot to put the Hatters on top 13-10. The home run was his eighth of the season.
The comeback attempt would ultimately fail, however, as Queens would strike four times in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 14-13 win.
Every Stetson batter picked up a hit on the night, led by Meola, who was 3-for-5 with a walk, two RBI, and three runs scored. Hill, Moran,
Brandon Hylton, Estrella, and third baseman Brandon Wyers all added a pair of hits.
Durgin was the bright spot on the mound for the Hatters, limiting the Royals to just three hits while striking out a pair in 3.2 scoreless innings.
Stetson closes out the regular season tomorrow at 1:00 PM. The Hatters then return home to host the 2023 ASUN Conference Tournament, which opens play on Tuesday. More information on the tournament schedule or tickets can be found at: https://asunsports.org/sports/bsb/championship/2022-23/index
