DELAND, Fla. — Stetson University dropped a 5-2 decision to Ball State University on Saturday afternoon at Melching Field.
The Hatters (0-2) struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Corey Robinson moved to third on a double by Foster Apple and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Yohann Dessureault to give Stetson a 1-0 lead.
Senior right-hander Ethan Phillips (0-1) made his season debut on the mound and worked five innings, allowing three runs—just one earned—on three hits. He struck out three and walked four.
Ball State (3-0) broke through in the fifth inning, capitalizing on a Stetson throwing error that allowed two runs to score. A sacrifice fly later in the frame pushed the Cardinals in front 3-1. The visitors added a run in the sixth on an infield single to extend the lead to 4-1 and later built a 5-1 advantage.
Stetson trimmed the deficit in the eighth when Jack Harley doubled and came around to score on an RBI single by Apple, making it 5-2. However, the Hatters were unable to mount a rally in the ninth.
Junior Dallis Moran provided a bright spot out of the bullpen, tossing a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts. Joel Core added three innings in relief, striking out four. As a staff, Stetson recorded nine strikeouts and held Ball State to 1-for-16 (.063) with runners in scoring position.
KEY PERFORMERS
GAME NOTES
- Stetson scored in the first and eighth innings.
- The Hatters' pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts.
- Ball State starter Alex Burden earned the win with six innings of one-run ball.
- Stetson pitchers limited the Cardinals to one hit in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
NEXT GAME
vs. St. John's Red Storm
February 15, 2026 | 1:30 PM
Fans can watch live on GoHatters.com. Live stats will also be available. Stay up-to-date with Hatters news and behind the scene content by following Stetson Baseball's social media channels.
