DeLAND, Fla. - After last night's opening day loss, the Hatters returned to Melching Field at Conrad Park on Saturday afternoon searching for their first win of the season. Sophomore shortstop Lorenzo Meola emerged as the hero for the Hatters, launching a walk-off two-run homer to straightaway center, securing a thrilling 7-5 win over West Virginia in the 11th inning.

"It's been a crazy day, playing with weather you have to set your mindset a little differently, you don't know when or how you're going to play so I think those adverse days it's really good to see us come in and play good baseball," said Head Coach Steve Trimper. "We're still in the early stages, you look really good in practices and scrimmages when you're playing against your other color. What happened today was we had some guys that had some failures and they came back and performed, the team in general, we had a lead and blew it and then we came back and really outplayed them the last couple innings until you get the big hit from Meola."

The Mountaineers seized an early advantage, claiming a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, the Hatters wasted no time in retaliating. Meola kickstarted Stetson's response with a leadoff single, followed by Isaiah Barkett drawing a seven-pitch walk. A double steal and a passed ball allowed Meola to cross the plate, narrowing the deficit to just one run.

Despite West Virginia threatening with a leadoff double in the second inning, which advanced to third on a flyout, junior starting pitcher Dylan Jacobs regained composure and navigated through the inning unscathed. The bottom of the third witnessed freshman outfielder Kyle Jones notching his first collegiate hit for Stetson, a leadoff double down the right field line.

The momentum swung firmly in Stetson's favor in the bottom of the sixth inning. Barkett initiated the surge with another walk, setting the stage for Landon Moran's single to center field, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Jayden Hylton, who homered in the previous night's defeat, was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Brandon Hylton, who drew a walk, bringing in a run. Catcher Gio Cueto then laced a single to left field, scoring Moran and propelling the Hatters to a 3-2 lead. However, they weren't finished yet. With two outs, Jones delivered a single through the left side, driving in two more runs and extending the lead to 5-2.

Cole Stallings, who relieved Jacobs in the sixth, held the Mountaineers scoreless in the seventh, but West Virginia leveled the score in the top of the eighth after Stallings was relieved. A two-out error allowed a run to cross the plate, prolonging the inning, which culminated in a game-tying two-run homer.

Ty Van Dyke settled down, keeping West Virginia at bay in the ninth and tenth innings. The contest required extra innings to break the deadlock, and Stetson appeared poised to seize victory when Moran and both Hyltons singled with one out, loading the bases. However, the Hatters couldn't capitalize.

Stetson's defense rose to the occasion as Van Dyke induced a crucial double play, granting the Hatters another opportunity. In the bottom of the 11th inning, with one out, Jones was hit by a pitch, placing a runner on base for Meola. Yet, Meola required no assistance, driving a deep ball to center field, clinching Stetson's 7-5 walk-off triumph, their first win of the 2024 campaign.

"Anybody that's played baseball knows the difference between a guy playing baseball and a ballplayer, he's a ballplayer," said Trimper. "He went out last night, had a couple punchies, made an error in the field, doesn't get down and comes out today, got a hit up the middle, smoked two balls including the big hit right there."

Jacobs pitched 5.2 innings, conceding five hits and two runs, while Van Dyke earned the win with 3.2 innings of work, not allowing an earned run. Both Van Dyke and Stallings recorded a strikeout each.

"West Virginia is a very good offensive club and he figured out real quick, you'll notice a lot of popups and that's cause we were going up in the zone and he did that after the first inning," said Trimper. "Two great starts in a row by our starters to keep us in the ballgame and not only was Dylan very good today but we had a really good bullpen, have to give them credit coming out there and doing a good job."

Stetson looks to return to Melching Field at Conrad Park Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM. Fans are encouraged to monitor the GoHatters website and Stetson Baseball social media for any updates.

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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