DELAND, Fla. (Interstat) — The Stetson Hatters capitalized on a chaotic first inning and rode a parade of effective relievers to an 8-4 victory over the UCF Knights in nonconference baseball Tuesday night at Melching Field.

The game’s decisive sequence unfolded immediately, as the Hatters (12-14) sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first, erasing an early 4-0 deficit before recording an out. UCF starter Dominic Rosado failed to retire any of the four batters he faced, walking leadoff hitter Cruz and yielding a sacrifice bunt before being pulled.

Kevin Schoneboom entered in relief but could not stem the tide. A wild pitch, a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Gonzalez and a hit-by-pitch set the stage for Landon Russell. The Stetson left fielder delivered a two-run double to the gap, cutting the UCF lead to 4-3. Samuel Fernandez followed with an RBI single to tie the game, completing the four-run outburst that completely shifted momentum.

The Hatters took the lead for good in the third inning. Gonzalez walked, stole third and scored when Russell reached on a fielder’s choice and a subsequent throwing error by UCF shortstop Gaskin. Stetson added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to build an 8-4 cushion. In the fourth, Cruz drove in Centracchio with a single. In the fifth, Fernandez laced an RBI double and Robinson added a run-scoring fielder’s choice.

The Knights (15-8), who entered as favorites according to national projection systems, were stifled for most of the night by a committee of six Stetson pitchers. After UCF jumped to its early lead, Hatters relievers combined for 8 2/3 scoreless innings before the eighth.

Ethan Phillips was particularly sharp, striking out four over two perfect innings of relief. Dallis Moran, Zane Coppersmith and Joel Core each contributed scoreless outings, with Core striking out two in the ninth to seal the win. The Stetson bullpen allowed just two hits after the first inning.

UCF’s offense, which had averaged over eight runs per game in its recent series win at TCU, was held to six hits. Andrew Williamson provided the bulk of the Knights’ scoring, launching a two-run homer to deep center in the eighth inning. That blast, which followed a double by pinch-hitter Chucka, accounted for UCF’s final runs and was the team’s only extra-base hit.

The Knights threatened to rally further in the eighth, loading the bases with one out and scoring two additional runs on a wild pitch and a fielding error. But Hatters reliever Haywood escaped the jam, and Core closed it out in the ninth.

Roman Kimball was a bright spot for UCF, striking out four over two perfect innings of late relief. Stetson’s Russell finished 1 for 2 with three RBIs and two walks, while Fernandez went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

The victory marked a significant rebound for Stetson after a lopsided loss to Florida in its previous midweek game. UCF saw a three-game winning streak snapped and will look to regroup before hosting Arizona for a weekend series starting Friday. The two in-state foes are scheduled to meet again on April 7 in Orlando.