University of Delaware Athletics
Crispell's Gem in Second Game Leads Delaware to CAA Doubleheader Split with Towson
3/23/2012 12:42:00 PM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware senior righthander Corey Crispell (at right) stopped Towson on just four hits and struck out seven Tiger batters as the Blue Hen baseball squad posted a 2-1 victory in the second game and earned a split in a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader Friday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.
The two teams will close out the series Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Game time was originally set for 12 noon but was pushed up due to the threat of rain later in the day. The teams were originally set to play just one game Friday but made it a doubleheader due to weather concerns for the weekend.
After falling 6-1 in the first game of the day, the Blue Hens (10-13, 4-4 CAA) came back with a hard-fought victory in the second game behind Crispell, who posted his third straight impressive outing and improved to 3-1 on the season.
Delaware lefthander Devon Pearson earned his fourth save of the year as he blanked the Tigers (10-10, 5-3 CAA) in the ninth after allowing two runners to reach base. With runners on first and second, Pearson struck out pinch-hitter Peter Bowles for the second out and then coaxed Hunter Bennett to ground out to UD second baseman D.J. Long to end the game.
Delaware had just five hits in the nightcap but the Hens got them when it counted as they scored twice in the fifth inning to take the lead and held on from there. Freshman rightfielder Tyler Powell led off the fifth with a walk and moved up on a single by centerfielder Nick Ferdinand.
Freshman third baseman Ryan Hartley promptly delivered a run-scoring single to left to bring home Powell and Ferdinand later scored what proved to be the game winner on a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Brock Niggebrugge.
Towson scored its only run in the sixth inning on a ground out by Brendan Butler to pull to within 2-1, but Crispell allowed just a single runner to reach base in the seventh and eighth inning before giving way to Pearson.
Towson took the opener by a 6-1 score thanks to a solid pitching performance by starter Michael Trionfo and two RBI each from outfielders Kurt Wertz and Ben Winter. The Tigers banged out 13 hits against five Delaware pitchers.
Delaware had 10 hits of its own but the Blue Hens stranded 12 runners. Cameron Travalini, Chris Branigan, and Tyler Powell each collected two hits each but the only offense the Hens could muster was a ninth inning RBI double from Branigan. Blue Hen starter Eric Young (2-3) took the loss as he allowed nine hits and four runs over 7.1 innings while striking out eight batters.
Towson got all the runs it would need with two in the second inning on run-scoring singles from Wertz and Bennett. The Tigers put up another run in the fourth on a solo home run to left field by Wertz and then added two in the eighth as Wertz and Winter each knocked in a run.
