University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Splits Doubleheader to Begin 2015 Season
2/13/2015 5:36:00 PM | Baseball
• Georgetown Boxscore | Wake Forest Boxscore
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The University of Delaware baseball team recorded a split of a doubleheader Friday as the Blue Hens defeated Georgetown 3-0, but fell to Wake Forest 3-2 during the opening day of the 2015 season at Wake Forest's WKU Baseball Stadium.
In the opener vs. Georgetown, Delaware broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the final inning led by senior Zach Lopes, who led off the ninth inning with a solo home run. After Ty Warrington and Diaz Nardo were able to get on base, Jeremy Ake delivered a two-run double to give Delaware some insurance runs.
Adam Davis, who spent nearly all of 2014 injured, pitched a strong game for the Hens. The right-handed senior pitched six scoreless innings and struck out four Hoyas.
Sophomore John Geffre came into the game to relieve Davis and allowed just one base runner in 1.2 innings. Kevin Miley got the last out of the eighth and allowed two hits in the final frame, but Luke Alicknavitch was able to come in to finish off the side and secure UD's first win of the season.
Jim ShermanThe 3-0 win was the first shutout for Delaware since the Hens blanked Hofstra 6-0 on Apr. 19 of last season. The victory over the Hoyas also marked the first time UD has shutout an opponent in the season opener since the Blue Hens downed Maryland-Eastern Shore 4-0 on opening day 1992.
In game two of the twinbill, Wake Forest held the UD bats in check for most of the contest, while the Demon Deacons' bats scored one run in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to take control of the game.
Like Davis against Georgetown, UD starter Chad Martin did not allow a run. Martin pitched four innings, allowed three hits, and recorded four strikeouts. Andrew Pechstein came in for relief in the fifth inning and allowed two runs in two innings pitched.
Wake Forest (1-0) held Delaware to two hits through eight innings before the Blue Hens put a scare into the Demon Deacons in the ninth inning.
Trailing 3-0 in the final frame, the Blue Hens (1-1) were able to get runners on the base paths before Giacchino and Lopes batted in one run each to cut the Wake Forest lead to one. However, the Blue Hens left the tying run 90 feet from home when Nick Liggett's towering drive was caught at the warning track.
"Game two was another good game for our pitching and defense," said Sherman. "We made a good run in the ninth. It was a shame Liggett's shot came up just short, but today was good day overall,
The Blue Hens' final game of the weekend will come tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. as UD takes on former Colonial Athletic Association foe Virginia Commonwealth.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
• Ake led the Hens with two hits vs. Georgetown
• The shutout vs. Georgetown marked Delaware's first shutout since the Hens blanked Hofstra 6-0 on Apr. 19 of last season.
• The victory over the Hoyas also marked the first time UD has shutout an opponent in the season opener since the Hens downed UMES 4-0 on opening day 1992.
• Andrew Pechstein, Taylor Mahoney, and Nick Spadafino all pitched in relief for the Hens vs. Wake Forest.
AGATE:
Delaware...................000 000 003 - 3 - 7 - 0
Georgetown..............000 000 000 - 0 - 5 - 0
D: Davis, Geffre (7), Milley (8), Alicknavitch (9); G: Smith, Davis (8); DP - D - 1, G - 0; LOB - D - 6, G - 8; 2B: Ake (D), Kuzbel 2 (G); HR: Lopes (D); HBP: Nardo (D); SH: Powell (D); WP: Milley (1-0); LP: Davis (0-1); SV: Alicknavitch (1); Attendance: 162.
Delaware.................000 000 002 - 2 - 4 - 0
Wake Forest............000 011 100 - 3 - 8 - 0
D: Martin, Pechstein (5), Mahoney (7), Spadafino (8); WF: Pirro, Craig (6), McCarren (8); LOB - D - 11, WF - 12; 2B: Mondou (WF); HBP: Powell (D); SB: Fairchild (WF), Pryor (WF); SH: Fairchild (WF), Yurchak (WF); WP: Pirro (1-0); Pechstein (0-1); SV: McCarren (1); Attendance: 658
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Joe Wirth | jwirth@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-6519| Cell: 484-883-2804
