RICHMOND, Ky. - The Stetson Hatters broke through after an 8-8 tie in the seventh inning to beat the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 13-9 Saturday night. The win not only marked a series sweep, the second straight sweep, but it also marked Head Coach Steve Trimper's 700th career victory. Stetson's bats came to life this weekend as they put up 38 runs over the three-game set.

"I've been extremely fortunate in my career to be around some unbelievable players and coaching staff members. This certainly has been the reason to be able to achieve any of the accomplishments we have," said Head Coach Steve Trimper. "Wins are great, but we strive for championships for our players and alumni to celebrate."

"I do want to thank all of my former and current players, along with all the staff members for being elite people. That's what leads to success," said Trimper on win No. 700. "

Daniel Paret got the start for the finale but was a no-decision after striking out three batters over 3.1 innings pitched. Freshman Zane Coppersmith earned the victory out of the pen for Stetson, his third win of the season. The right-hander went one inning, giving up one run on one hit, allowing one walk and striking out two. Senior Cole Stallings threw 1.1 shutout innings while allowing no hits, with no walks and one strikeout. Stetson's pitching staff faced 44 Eastern Kentucky batters in the game, forcing eight ground balls and nine fly outs while striking out nine.

The Hatters got on the scoreboard first, starting in the second inning. Stetson's offense started clicking and put up five runs, including a two-run single off the bat of sophomore Isaiah Barkett.

The Hatters lost the lead they built in the second, but got back on the board in the fifth trailing 6-5. Stetson scored twice on freshman Logan Hughes' two-run homer, which brought the Hatters lead to 7-6.

Stetson kept Eastern Kentucky scoreless before expanding their lead to 8-6 the following inning. The Hatters scored once on an RBI single off the bat of freshman Kyle Jones.

The Colonels then tied the game at eight before Stetson came back to retake their advantage in the eighth inning. The Hatters scored five runs in the inning, highlighted by a leadoff home run to straightaway center by Yohann Dessureault. It was his eighth home run of the season, fifth most in the conference.

The scoring rounded out on a one-run single off the bat of sophomore Landon Moran, bringing the Stetson advantage to 13-8. Eastern Kentucky put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Hatters still coasted to the 13-9 win.

Hughes compiled four hits on the day for Stetson, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and two RBI. While four Hatters had multiple hits in the ballgame, both he and Dessureault smacked multiple extra-base. For the second straight game ever Stetson starter reached base safely in the win including Jones who now extended his on-base streak to 15 straight games. Stetson out-hit the Colonels at a 14-9 clip while Barkett led on the base path with two stolen bases.

"When you go on the road in our league, you are always striving to win the series. Our guys not only accomplished that but got a series sweep on the road, which is tough to do," said Trimper. "Today, we battled all day, including the elements, as the wind was howling, making it difficult. They persevered and kept competing every inning which led to the sweep."

Stetson will now return home to Melching Field at Conrad Park as they host the University of South Florida on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM and all the action will be streamed to ESPN+.

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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