Thursday, May 26, 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Will Dorsey struck out a career-high nine batters as top-seeded Stetson staved off elimination with a 7-2 victory over fifth-seeded ETSU on the second day of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship on Thursday at Lipscomb’s Dugan Field. The Hatters (41-17) snapped a six-game losing streak in league tournament games, picking up their first win since 2008.

The Buccaneers on the other hand, suffered their second loss in as many days and are eliminated from the tournament. They lead the country with 86 home runs but failed to hit in a long ball in either game this week.

The Buccaneers couldn’t crack Dorsey and Stetson’s pitching staff as they struck out 12 times. Dorsey, a junior right-hander, retired the first seven batters and allowed just two runs – one unearned – on six hits over 6.2 innings. With a 5-2 Stetson lead, Dorsey (3-3) was pulled after a two-out single put two runners on in the top of the seventh. Righty Jake Boyd entered to put out the fire, striking out Bo Reeder to end the inning. Boyd pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with two more strikeouts and closer Robbie Powell worked around a leadoff single to close out the ninth.

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Read the Atlantic Sun Insider Column: Hatters Down but not Out

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Stetson took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the game tied at 2-2 and one out, Mark Jones hit a fly ball off ETSU’s Derek Bushey to shallow left field. It appeared second baseman Derek Niesman was under it but he was called off by center fielder Matthew Scruggs. But he failed to get to the ball in time, which resulted in a bloop single. After Spencer Theisen drew a walk, both runners stole bases to move to second and third, respectively. That set up Mitchel Brennan, who sent a 1-2 pitch to the gap in left center for a two-run, two-out double. Brennan moved to third on a fielding error and then later came around to score on a high-bouncing single through the left field by Kyle Zech.

That was all for Bushey (6-5), who allowed five runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. After giving up a solo home run to Ben Carhart in the third inning, he settled down to retire the next 10 batters before getting in a bind in the sixth.

Brennan led Stetson with three hits and two RBIs as the Hatters ended a three-game losing streak. They had lost seven of their previous ten. Stetson advances to play at 3 p.m. on Friday against a to-be-determined opponent.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.