DELAND, Fla. – The Stetson Hatters secured a thrilling 5-4 walk-off victory over FGCU on Thursday night, capping a back-and-forth contest with a clutch ninth-inning double by junior Evan Griffis.

After FGCU tied the game in the top of the ninth, Griffis delivered the decisive blow with a pinch hit one-out RBI double in the bottom half to give Stetson (39-19) the win. The junior finished the night 1-for-1 with the game-winning hit.

Senior Ty Van Dyke (7-0) earned the win in relief, tossing two strong innings with three strikeouts while allowing just one run on three hits. Fellow senior Justin Solimine also contributed out of the bullpen, throwing three innings and surrendering one run on three hits.

At the plate, sophomore Juan De La Cruz went 1-for-3 with an RBI, while junior Landon Russell added a 1-for-3 performance and drove in a key run in the seventh as the Hatters reclaimed the lead.

Stetson jumped ahead early with a two-run third inning but saw their lead slip away before rallying again in the seventh to go up 4-3. FGCU tied it in the ninth, setting the stage for Griffis' walk-off heroics. 

With the win, Stetson advances to face top-seeded Austin Peay tomorrow night at 6:00 PM.

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