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SPORTS ROUNDUP: Stetson golfers finish 4th in Hawaii

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Senior Justine Lauer finished tied for 13th in Hawaii. [Stetson Athletics]

Facing a field loaded with highly-ranked teams, the Stetson women's golf team finished fourth at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational on Wednesday in Kailua, Hawaii.

The event, which was played at the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Club on the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, featured six teams ranked among the top 84 teams in the nation. The Hatters, who came into the tournament ranked 98th nationally according to Golfstat.com, played their way into the final groupings for Wednesday's final round and held their own against Arizona State, Ohio State and TCU.

Third-ranked Arizona State lived up to its ranking, leading the tournament from start to finish. The Sun Devils coasted to the team title with a 12-under par score of 852. ASU finished 19 shots ahead of second place TCU and 20 in front of the Buckeyes.

Stetson finished comfortably in fourth place with a total score of 877. The performance extended the Hatters' streak of top five finishes this year to eight consecutive events.

The Hatters finished nine shots in front of host Hawaii and 14 shots in font of perennial ASUN favorite Kennesaw State.

Stetson was led by junior Hanna Kiefer, who tied for 11th overall with teammate Sarah May, who played the tournament as an individual. Kiefer posted rounds of 71 and 77 on Tuesday before closing with a two-under par 70 in the final round. May also closed with a final round 70 after opening on Tuesday with rounds of 73 and 75.

Senior Justine Lauer finished one shot behind Kiefer and May, tied for 13th. She opened with a 70 before a second round 76. She closed with a 73 in the final round.

Senior Erikah Neger finished one shot further back, tied for 18th, after rounds of 77-71-72. Junior Meghan McLean finished tied for 25th after posting rounds of 72-76-75. Sophomore Bianca Sol Cruz tied for 44th with rounds of 75-76-77.

Freshman Wendy Hsiao, who played as an individual, finished 74th after posting rounds of 81-79-80.

Stetson falls to Fairfield in baseball

The Stetson Hatters got off to a bad start on Wednesday night at Melching Field and things never really got better in a 7-4 loss to Fairfield.

It was the second straight loss for Stetson (11-4) and just the second win of the season for Fairfield (2-9).

The Stags jumped on Hatters starting pitcher Chris Gonzalez for a pair of runs in the first inning. Justin Guerrera had the big blow in the frame with a two-run double. Fairfield added to the lead in the second, scoring an unearned run on a sacrifice fly after an error extended the inning.

Stetson rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second off Fairfield starter Billy Fitzgerald. Freshman Christian Pregent delivered a two-out single to drive in the two runs. The Hatters tied the game in the third when Jonathan Meola doubled off Stags reliever Eli Oliphant (1-2), scoring Nick DiPonzio from first.

Fairfield regained the lead for good in the fifth when Giancomo Brancato delivered a two-out single off freshman Kyle Yeoward (2-1) to score Guerrera, who had walked. Fairfield pushed the lead to 6-3 in the seventh on an RBI triple by Guerrera off sophomore Danny Garcia and a sacrifice fly.

Stetson got one run back in the bottom of the seventh when Jorge Arenas reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Andrew MacNeil and Kyle Ball followed with hits off Jason Hebner, but Jon Halpin came on to get the final two outs and strand two runners in scoring position.

Following Ball's hit in the seventh, the Fairfield pitchers retired the final nine Stetson batters in order, with Nick Grabek getting the last three for his first save.

Fairfield added an insurance run in the eighth.

Ball and Meola had two hits each to lead Stetson while Geurrera had two hits and drove in three runs for the Stags.

The upcoming schedule for the Hatters is up in the air at this point after the Ivy League announced all future athletics events for the spring have been cancelled in response to the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The Hatters also had a game scheduled against Maine on Tuesday next week, but that game has also been cancelled.

Check the Stetson Athletics web site, GoHatters.com, for announcements on future scheduling.

Stetson splits with USC Upstate in softball

Chloe Temples fired a two-hit shutout as Stetson blanked USC Upstate 3-0 in Game 1 of a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Patricia Wilson Field.

The Spartans (17-7) rallied for a 9-6 victory in the nightcap as the Hatters (12-15) split for the ninth time this season.

Lizzie Shubert went 4-for-7 with a triple, a home run, and four runs scored in the doubleheader to lead the offense.

In Game 1, Temples was dominant from start to finish, allowing just two singles and one walk en route to her third shutout of the season. She struck out seven and did not allow an Upstate runner past second base. It was her league-leading 10th win of the season.

Stetson scored twice in the third on a bases loaded walk from Kara Saylor and an RBI single from Emma Morgan in her collegiate debut. Nyah Morgan doubled home Shubert in the fourth inning to cap the scoring.

In Game 2, Stetson led 5-1 after three innings, but the Spartans fought back with two in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the seventh. Blake Crews went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Shubert hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth.