DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The Stetson Hatters took a 7-6 lead into the seventh inning, but could not hang on and fell 8-7 to the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach.

Senior John Modugno made the start on the mound but it was Zane Coppersmith who took the loss for Stetson. Dylan Jacobs and TJ Melani each pitched multiple innings of relief while the latter struck out three across two innings. Senior Cole Stallings tossed a shutout inning in the bottom of the eighth, striking out all three batters he faced. As a staff, Stetson faced 39 Bethune-Cookman batters in the game, forcing six ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out 10.

The Hatters were trailing 3-0 in the second inning when they first put runs on the board. Stetson plated two runs when sophomore Landon Moran left the yard with freshman Logan Hughes aboard. His two-run blast to right field was his second home run of the season and the first since Jacksonville on March 15.

The Hatters deficit grew to 6-2 before their offense got back on the scoreboard, cutting into that deficit in the third inning. Stetson managed to push across two runs in the inning, which tightened the Wildcats lead to 6-4. 

Stetson held the Wildcats off the scoreboard before narrowing the gap to 6-5 in the fifth. The Hatters recorded a run on Moran's two-out RBI ground rule double to right field.

Stetson held the Wildcats off the board before taking the lead in the sixth. The Hatters scored twice, with one run coming across on junior Gio Cueto's 2-out single, bringing the score to 7-6 in favor of Stetson. The Hatters were unable to hold the lead, as Bethune-Cookman scored two times over the remaining three innings to steal a 8-7 win.

Freshman Kyle Jones put together a four-hit day for the Hatters as he now has reached base in 24 straight games. Stetson's power output was led by Moran, who went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Despite the loss, the Hatters out-hit the Wildcats at a 12-7 clip while going 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.

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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