DELAND, Fla. - In the final night game of the regular season, the Stetson Hatters honored 12 seniors prior to the game for their Senior Night ceremony. Of them included John Modugno, who started the game on the mound for Stetson and Nick Durgin, the recipient of the win. Stetson received contributions from every part of their lineup, as all nine starters reached base safely, helping the Hatters put seven runs on the board and beat the Central Arkansas Bears 7-4 at Melching Field on Friday night. The win secured a series win, their ninth such and seventh against ASUN foes as they prepare to host the ASUN Tournament next week.
"We're playing really clean baseball right now and getting really good pitching and getting timely hitting, we're playing our best baseball right now. We just want to stay playing well and tomorrow is an important one, we still have a chance, with some help from North Alabama, to win the conference and there is still a lot on the line," said Head Coach Steve Trimper. "We want to continue to build our resume, if we have a good tournament, there is still regional hopes. So, everything is important, every game is important and we want to set our guys up for success tomorrow."
Durgin, now 5-2, got the win out of the bullpen for Stetson, who is now 36-19 and 19-10 in conference play. The right-hander went three innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on two hits, allowing two walks and striking out two. Modugno got the starting nod, however, also tossing three innings while allowing two runs on three hits and striking out a pair. Sophomore TJ Melani earned his second save of the season after going two shutout innings without allowing a hit, walking none and striking out two.
Reflecting on his role and his approach to tonight's game, Modugno stated, "I've only really been here for a year, so I just wanted to show up for the guys who have been here a lot longer than me. I just wanted to pass the torch to the guys."
The Hatters got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the bottom the first inning with the game still scoreless. Freshman Kyle Jones came across to score the lone run of the inning for Stetson and get them on the board, scoring on a sacrifice foul out of the bat of Logan Hughes down the first base line.
Then for the second straight inning, Modugno stranded a run on third base to hold the Bears scoreless before the offense got back on the board once again. Stetson scored three runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-run homer off the left field scoreboard from sophomore Jayden Hylton, which brought the score to 4-0 in favor of the Hatters.
With bases loaded and no outs in the top of the fourth, Durgin forced a grounder back to the mound before turning two at the plate. While the Bears would tie the game at four, Durgin then recorded the punch out to retire the side.
Despite Central Arkansas clawing back to tie the ballgame, Stetson reclaimed a 5-4 advantage in the fifth inning when the Hatters added a run on sophomore Landon Moran's two-out solo home run to left field.
Stetson kept the Bears scoreless before building on their lead in the seventh inning. Jones and Hughes came in to score the two Hatters runs in the frame on a Central Arkansas fielding error, bringing the Stetson advantage to 7-4, where it would remain for the rest of the game.
The Hatters out-hit the Bears at a 6-5 clip while Kyle Jones was the lone Hatter to record multiple hits as he has now achieved that feat a team-leading 22 times this season. As a team, the Hatters have now homered at least once in five straight games and 12 times total in that stretch.
The Hatters showcased their offensive firepower yet again, highlighting a balanced approach at the plate that has become their hallmark. "Offensively, this team has some power, they try not to strikeout. If you look at our strikeout-to-walk ratio, it's something we really pride ourselves on," said Trimper. "This ballpark plays a little different with the wind shifts and the last couple games it's been blowing out a bit but tonight, not so much and we got two balls out. Landon's ball was absolutely smoked to the backside, that was really well struck."
Reflecting on the team's current form and their potential moving forward, Modugno expressed his trust, saying, "I feel really confident about our team. I think a lot of the things that we needed to click are happening right now and I think it's the perfect time for it."
They conclude the regular season at home at Melching Field on Saturday, May 18 with first pitch slated for 1:00 PM. It is the last game of the season before the Hatters host the ASUN Tournament in DeLand, starting on Tuesday. The series finale against Central Arkansas will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at GoHatters.com
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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