RICHMOND, Ky. - Senior Anthony DeFabbia, who is now 5-0 on the season, punched out eight Eastern Kentucky batters over six innings of work to help lead the Stetson Hatters over the Colonels 14-3 in seven-innings on Friday night.

In addition to his eight strikeouts, DeFabbia went six innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits while walking two for Stetson. Senior Chris Shine also made an appearance on the mound for the Hatters, throwing one shutout inning while allowing no hits, with no walks and one strikeout.

In the batter's box, the Hatters were led by sophomore Isaiah Barkett, who went 2-for-3 on the day with a double, a triple, a walk and two RBI. Junior Daniel Labrador put together a noteworthy effort as well, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and two RBI. Graduate Mike Handal also helped out for Stetson, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a home run and two RBI. Freshman Kyle Jones picked up three hits in the game as he extends his streak of getting on base to 14 straight games.

Every Stetson starter reached base safely in the win as they out-hit the Colonels at a 14-4 clip. Five Haters finished the game with multiple hits in the ballgame.

The Hatters got on the scoreboard first, starting in the second inning. Stetson scored three runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-run triple from Barkett.

The Colonels then gained ground, narrowing the lead to 3-1 until the Hatters expanded their advantage in the third. Stetson scored twice on Handal's two-run homer, which brought the Hatters lead to 5-1.

Stetson held Eastern Kentucky scoreless before building their lead to 8-1 the following inning.

The Colonels fought back, closing the gap to 8-2 until Stetson added some insurance in the sixth. The Hatters scored twice on Labrador's two-run homer, bringing the score to 10-2 in favor of Stetson.

Eastern Kentucky got within 10-3 until the Hatters scored again in the seventh inning to stretch its lead to 14-3. The Stetson offense piled up four runs, including an RBI double by Jones and a one-run flyout off the bat of freshman Logan Hughes. 

Stetson went 8-for-17 (.471) with runners in scoring position while the pitching staff limited limited Eastern Kentucky to just 1-for-9 (.111) with runners in scoring position. Stetson pitchers faced 28 Colonels batters in the game, forcing four ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out nine.

The Hatters return to action on Saturday as they conclude the series against EKU at Turkey Hughes Field at Earle Combs Stadium at 11:00 AM. They look to continue their hot start after tallying 25 combined runs in the first two games of the series.

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.