DELAND, Fla. - The Stetson Hatters broke through after a 7-7 tie in the seventh inning to take down the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 8-7 at Melching Field on Tuesday night. The Hatters got back in the win column to end a two game skid while they get revenge for a road loss to the Wildcats earlier this season.
Senior Mike McCully got the win, his first of the season, out of the bullpen for Stetson, who is now 31-18 on the campaign. The right-hander tossed two shutout innings, giving up one hit, no walks and striking out four. Senior Cole Stallings then entered in the top of the ninth to shut the door, picking up his ninth save of the year. He didn't allow a hit, walked one and struck out two.
The Hatters were trailing 1-0 in the first inning when they first put runs on the board. After Landon Moran plated a run with an RBI single through the right side, Brandon Hylton clobbered a three-run shot to deep right field to put the Hatters up 4-1 after one inning.
The Hatters lost the lead they built in the first, but got back on the board in the fifth trailing 6-4. Stetson brought home a pair, with one run driven in by sophomore Evan Griffis' single, which leveled the score at 6-6.
Bethune-Cookman broke the tie and took a 7-6 lead moving into the sixth, when Stetson tied the game at seven. After Dylan Jacobs entered in relief to escape a bases loaded jam with minimal damage, the Hatters scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Hylton.
The game stayed tied until the eighth inning, when Stetson got rolling again on offense. The Hatters took the lead when freshman Kyle Jones drew a bases loaded walk that scored Hylton, bringing the Stetson advantage to 8-7, where it remained for the rest of the game, as Stetson held on for the win.
The Hatters out-hit the Wildcats at an 11-10 clip while four Hatters had multiple hits in the ballgame including Jones, who had three base hits in the game for Stetson. Hylton led the Hatters at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBIs.
Stetson will now hit the road for a three-game stint at Queens University of Charlotte before returning home for the rest of the regular season. Their road finale begins at 6:00 PM on Friday and Saturday before concluding at 1:00 PM on Sunday. The game will be played at The Stick Williams Dream Fields in Charlotte and all the action will be streamed to ESPN+ with live stats available at queensathletics.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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