JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Stetson Hatters responded from tied 6-6 in the eighth inning to win in breathtaking fashion, rallying to earn a 10-6 victory in the 10th inning over the North Florida Ospreys at Harmon Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Jayden Hylton and Kyle Jones connected on back-to-back home runs in the top of the 10th to put the Hatters out in front for the first time in the game. It was the first time two Hatters went back-to-back since March 9 when Evan Griffis and Yohann Dessureault accomplished the feat against Bradley.
Senior Nick Durgin, now 3-2, picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Stetson, who is now 28-15 on the season and 14-6 in conference play. The right-hander tossed one shutout inning while giving up two hits, allowing no walks and striking out one. Senior Aric McAtee also had a solid outing on the mound for the Hatters, throwing 5.1 innings, giving up two runs, all earned, on four hits, with no walks and six strikeouts.
In the batter's box, the Hatters were paced by Sophomore Lorenzo Meola, who went 3-for-6 with a triple and five RBIs. Freshman Logan Hughes also put together a standout performance at the plate, going 2-for-2 on the day with a home run, four walks and two RBIs. Freshman Kyle Jones also chipped in for Stetson, putting together two hits in six trips to the plate while adding a home run and an RBI as he now has reached base in 30 straight games.
Trailing 4-0, the Hatters first put runs on the board in the second inning. Stetson scored twice, with one run coming across on Dessureault's single.
The Hatters deficit grew to 6-2 before their offense got back on the scoreboard, cutting into that deficit in the fifth inning. Stetson scored twice on Hughes' two-run homer to left center, which brought the score to 6-4 in favor of the Ospreys. It was Hughes' six home run of the season, all of which have come on the road.
Stetson kept the Ospreys off the scoreboard before rallying to tie it up at six in the seventh on a two-run triple from Meola.
The game stayed tied until the tenth inning, when Stetson got going again on offense. The Hatters left the yard two times in the inning on the way to scoring four runs, bringing the Stetson advantage to 10-6. The score remained 10-6 for the rest of the game, as Cole Stallings shut the door for the Hatters win.
The Hatters out-hit the Ospreys at a 13-12 clip while four Hatters had multiple hits in the ballgame including junior Gio Cueto and Meola who each recorded three-hit games. Meola's five RBIs were the most by a Hatter since Daniel Labrador drove in six against Queens on May 18, 2023.
The Stetson pitching staff combined to strike out 12 North Florida hitters. As as a staff, they faced 47 North Florida batters in the game, forcing 11 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out 12.
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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