University of Delaware Athletics
Sacrifice Fly Hands Delaware Baseball a 12-11 Defeat at Saint Joseph?s in Extra Innings
4/24/2013 6:41:00 PM | Baseball
Delaware (26-14) lost its fourth straight game while Saint Joseph's moved above .500 on the season, improving to a 20-19 mark. The Blue Hens had defeated the Hawks, 16-3, in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic earlier in the season in Newark.
“Today was one of those crazy days where we got the hits but we didn't get the type of pitching we needed and the breaks didn't go our way,” said Delaware head coach Jim Sherman. “Give credit to Saint Joe's. They hit and battled back.”
Tied at 11-11 in the bottom of the 10th inning, SJU loaded the bases with one out on Blue Hen reliever Eric Buckland. With the sacks packed, Collin Forgey lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that was deep enough for Greg Krumpel to tag at third base and score the game deciding run for the Hawks.
Delaware outhit Saint Joseph's, 15-12, as the Hen offense was led by leadoff hitter Joe Giacchino, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Nick Ferdinand posted a four-RBI game after he went 3-for-4 with a home run and one run scored.
The Blue Hen bats jumped on the Hawks at the start of the game and sent 11 men to the plate in the top of the first inning en route to an early 7-0 lead over the Hawks. Jimmy Yezzo extended his hitting streak to seven games with a run-scoring single in the first inning. Ferdinand smashed his eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot off of the scoreboard in left-center field in the top of the first inning.
UD added a run in the fourth inning on a Ferdinand sacrifice fly that plated Andrew Burgess and scored three in the top of the fifth inning with three-straight RBI singles by Giacchino, Brock Niggebrugge and Yezzo. Delaware's offense would be held scoreless over the final five innings by SJU's relievers.
Buckland (3-3) suffered the loss for the Blue Hens after the right-hander surrendered one earned run on two hits, two walks and four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of relief.
Taylor Mahoney tossed 1.1 innings on the mound as the left-hander was charged with six earned runs on three hits and two walks en route to a no-decision.
Saint Joseph's offense scored 11 of its 12 runs in the first three innings before a final tally in the bottom of the 10th inning. Kumpel slugged a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning that capped a four-run frame for the Hawks. Brian O'Keefe tied the ballgame at 7-7 in the bottom of the second inning with a three-run blast over the left field wall. SJU tallied four more runs in the bottom of the third inning highlighted by Mike Muha's two-run double.
The Hawks used five relievers in the extra-inning victory as Steven Schuler (2-1) earned his second win of the season after he threw one scoreless inning with one hit and one strikeout in the top of the 10th inning.
Shane Carey earned a no-decision even though he could not complete the first inning as the Saint Joseph's starter surrendered seven runs (five earned) on five hits and one walk in 0.2 innings pitched.
The Blue Hens return to Colonial Athletic Association action on Friday, April 26 as Delaware hosts Old Dominion University for a three-game weekend series.
“We are in that little bit of a rut right now and we need a great outing by Kuhl on Friday,” said Sherman. “A strong start out of Chad will right this ship and put us back on track.”
With first pitch set at 3:00 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium, Delaware will hand the ball to right-hander Chad Kuhl (6-2, 3.64 earned-run average) while Old Dominion has yet to name a starter in the opener.
