DELAND, Fla - Freshman Logan Hughes and junior Daniel Labrador each collected three hits to help lead the Stetson Hatters past the FGCU Eagles 12-2 on Saturday. The Hatters rebounded from a shutout loss on Friday with a dominant showing on offense, racking up 14 hits on their way to a run rule win the 8th inning. It was their fifth win by way of run rule this season and their eighth game surpassing 10 or more runs.
Senior Aric McAtee, now 1-1, got the win for Stetson, who is now 24-11 on the campaign and 10-4 in conference play. The right-hander went six innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits, allowing one walk and striking out three. Freshman Zane Coppersmith also pitched well, going two shutout innings without allowing a hit, walking none and striking out two to earn the save.
In addition to his three hits, Labrador had a double and two RBI to lead the Hatters. Hughes added a walk and an RBI to his three-hit performance as well. Sophomore Lorenzo Meola also chipped in for Stetson, putting together two hits in two trips to the plate while adding two doubles, three walks and an RBI.
The Hatters were trailing 1-0 in the second inning when they first put runs on the board. Stetson got an RBI single from Hughes, scoring Labrador from second base.
The game remained tied until the very next inning, when the Hatters got going again on offense. Stetson managed to push across two runs in the inning, which brought the Hatters lead to 3-1.
Stetson held FGCU without a run before building their lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning.
The Eagles gained ground, closing the gap to 4-2 until Stetson added some insurance in the seventh. The Hatters scored five runs in the inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing double off the bat of junior Gio Cueto, bringing the Stetson advantage to 9-2.
The Hatters kept FGCU scoreless before expanding their lead to 12-2 the following inning. After Isaiah Barkett drove in a pair of runs with a double down the right field line, Kyle Jones scored on a wild pitch to push the Hatters ahead by double-figures. Jones went 1-for-3 in the contest with two stolen bases as he now extends his on-base streak to 22 straight games.
Stetson took the lead at 3-1 in the bottom half of the third and never lost that advantage. Four Hatters had multiple hits in the ballgame as they out-hit the Eagles at a 14-5 clip.
Stetson went 6-for-16 (.375) with runners in scoring position including two hits in six at-bats with the bases loaded.
The pitching staff limited FGCU to 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position while facing 30 FGCU hitters in the game, forcing 10 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out five.
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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