DELAND, Fla - In the final game of the 2024 regular season, the Stetson Hatters rallied from down 8-7 in the fifth inning to beat the Central Arkansas Bears 10-8 on Saturday afternoon. Despite rain shortening the game to 6.5 innings, the Hatters completed the series sweep thanks to a three-run home run by Gio Cueto. The win resulted in a three-way tie atop the ASUN Standings as the Hatters were named Co-Regular Season Champions of the ASUN.

Senior Danny Garcia, now 1-2 on the year, got the win out of the bullpen for Stetson, who finished the season 37-19 and 20-10 in conference play. The right-hander went two shutout innings, giving up one hit, no walks and striking out two. Junior Ty Van Dyke threw one shutout inning without allowing a hit, walking none and striking out one to secure the Hatters early win.

Trailing 2-0, the Hatters first put runs on the board in the first inning. Stetson scored three runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-run homer to center field by freshman Logan Hughes. It was the hometown kid's first home run in DeLand, having previously only homered on the road.

The Bears then rallied to score two runs and take a 4-3 lead before the Hatters got back on the board in the second. Stetson scored twice on Hughes' second home run of the day, a two-run shot to left, which brought the Hatters lead to 5-4.

Stetson's lead had evaporated once the fifth inning arrived and turned into an 8-5 Central Arkansas advantage, when the Hatters cut that deficit to 8-7. The Hatters scored two runs when a single from sophomore Evan Griffis scored Hughes and sophomore Landon Moran.

Stetson held the Bears off the board before taking the lead in the sixth. The inning resulted in three runs for the Hatters, all of them scoring on a three-run homer from Cueto to left, bringing the score to 10-8 in favor of Stetson. 

The Hatters out-hit the Bears at a 13-10 clip, going 3-for-10 (.300) with runners in scoring position. Five Hatters had multiple hits in the ballgame. including Moran and Hughes, who both smacked multiple extra-base hits in the ballgame. Hughes led the Hatters at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI.

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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