University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
William & Mary
Blue Hens Compete Weekend Sweep of William & Mary With 16-8 Victory
4/26/2015 7:01:00 PM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware baseball team exploded for seven runs in the first and seventh innings as the Blue Hens completed a weekend sweep of William & Mary with a convincing 16-8 victory over the Tribe Sunday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Delaware, which scored 41 runs during three-game set including 33 over the final two days, improved to 18-15 overall and 7-8 in the CAA after its first conference sweep of the season. The Tribe fell to 19-22 overall and 9-9 in league play.
William & Mary took the lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Charley Gould, but the Blue Hens quickly took control by battering Tribe starter Aaron Fernandez in the bottom half.
Joe Giacchino (left) led off with a single and quickly scored on a Zach Lopes double, while Lopes then crossed the plate on an infield single by Norm Donkin.
An RBI single by Greg Olenski and a run-scoring double by Nick Liggett made it a 4-1 game, before Olenski beat the throw to the plate on a groundball hit by Calvin Scott for the fifth run of the frame.
Brock Niggebrugge then singled home a run to knock Fernandez from the game, while Giacchino greeted relief pitcher Mitchell Aker with an RBI single to conclude the rally.
William & Mary got three runs back in the top of the third on an RBI double by Ryan Hall before a two-run single by Matthew Tilley, but Delaware answered back in the bottom half when Giacchino singled home Brian Mayer.
The Blue Hens added an unearned run in the fourth to go in front by five, before the Tribe countered with two in the fifth to make it a 9-6 game. Delaware maintained its three-run cushion until the bottom of the seventh, when the Blue Hens put the game away with their second seven spot of the day, all coming with two outs.
Diaz Nardo singled home Lopes with the first run of the frame, and after an RBI single by Olenski, Scott singled home a pair to put UD in front 14-6.
Mayer then capped the inning by blasting a three-run shot over the leftfield fence, his first career longball, to give the Blue Hens an 11-run edge.
Giacchino and Olenski each finished with three hits, two RBI and a run scored to pace the 18-hit Delaware attack, while five players added two hits apiece.
Jim ShermanSophomore righthander Chad Martin picked up his second win of the year after allowing six runs, five earned, in 5.1 innings of work, before Taylor Mahoney (right) gave up two runs on three hits in the final 3.2 frames to earn his second career save.
Fernandez fell to 3-3 for the Tribe after he was tagged for seven runs on six hits in just a third on an inning. Cullen Large paced William & Mary by going 4 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Devin White and Hall each contributed three hits.
Delaware will face a tough challenge this week when the Blue Hens take on No. 21 Maryland in a pair of non-conference matchups. UD and the Terrapins will play on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in College Park before facing off Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Hen Scratchings:
• Delaware posted its first series win over William & Mary since 2012
• The Blue Hens recorded their first CAA sweep since taking all three games vs. Northeastern on Apr. 4-6, 2014
• Lopes has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games including six straight
• Olenski has 10 hits in the last five games
• Giacchino has recorded three hits in four of the last five contests
• Delaware has scored at least 16 runs in consecutive games for the first time since 2006
• The second through fifth innings were played without a scoreboard or public address system due to a power outage in Newark
AGATE:
William & Mary...103 020 011 - 8 15 3
Delaware.............701 100 70x - 16 18 1
WM :Fernandez, Aker (1), White (7), Kauhaahaa, (7), Yoest (8) and Hissey. UD: Martin, Mahoney (6) and Mayer. E: Large (WM), Hissey (WM), Hoehn (WM), Nardo (UD). LOB: WM 15, UD 8. 2B: Large (WM), Miconi (WM), Smith (WM), Hall 2 (WM), Lopes (UD), Nardo (UD), Liggett (UD), B. Niggebrugge (UD); HR: Mayer (UD); HBP: Gould (WM), Shaw (WM), Smith (WM), B. Niggebrugge (UD); SB: Mayer (UD); CS: Lopes (UD). Win: Martin (2-3). Loss: Fernandez (3-3). Save: Mahoney (1).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
