University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
Towson
Delaware Clinches CAA Tournament Bid with 8-2 Victory vs. Towson
5/14/2015 6:27:00 PM | Baseball
• Box Score
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team was able to earn a spot in next week's Colonial Athletic Association Tournament as the Blue Hens downed Towson 8-2 in a CAA battle at Bob Hannah Stadium Thursday afternoon.
This season marks the fourth straight year Delaware will participate in the postseason and with Thursday's victory, the Hens are assured the No. 5 seed. The CAA Tournament will begin Wednesday in Mount Pleasant, S.C. with top seed College of Charleston serving as host.
Jim ShermanAdam Davis earned his team-leading fifth victory of the season Thursday and the right-hander pitched his best in the toughest situations against Towson.
Davis forced Towson to strand four runners in scoring position in his 6.2 innings of work. The only run surrendered by the senior came in the fifth inning on a Mark Grunberg RBI single.
The Tigers continued to threaten in the frame and loaded the bases with Peter Bowles coming to the plate. Bowles lined the ball to right field and seemed destined for a base hit, but Norm Donkin made a spectacular diving catch to end the inning and quell the Towson threat.
“We wanted to clinch as soon as possible and it was great to do it today,” said Donkin (right). “As a senior, you don't want your last game to be Senior Day, so being able to head to Charleston for the conference tournament is very exciting and everyone on the team is looking forward to it.”
The Hens went scoreless in the first three innings, but their bats awoke in the fourth as Calvin Scott notched a clutch two-out double to knock in UD's first two runs of the game.
After Towson scored one run in the fifith, Delaware answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. The UD scoring came on a pair of two-out RBI singles from Zach Lopes and Donkin.
The Blue Hens added another run in the sixth before putting the game out of reach with three runs in the seventh inning. The highlight of the frame came when Donkin ripped a double to knock in Lopes and Joe Giacchino and record his third RBI of the day.
The Hens and Tigers will return to action Friday for the second game of the three-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
· Thursday was the 120th meeting between the two programs and UD now leads the all-time series 79-41.
· Davis scattered eight hits and allowed just one earned run in 6.2 innings.
· Taylor Mahoney pitched the final 2.1 innings of the contest and surrendered just one run on two hits.
· Donkin's three RBI was a team-high.
· Lopes, Giacchino, and Donkin each recorded a multi-hit game.
· Scott now has a seven-game hitting streak.
· Grunberg led Towson with three hits and two RBI.
· Bruce Zimmermann got the start for the Tigers and allowed eight runs on 11 hits in six innings.
· As the No. 5 seed, UD will face the No. 4 seed Elon, Wednesday at 12 p.m.
· The winner of the Blue Hens and Phoenix matchup will then face No.1 seed College of Charleston on Thursday.
AGATE
Towson.....000 010 001 - 2 - 10 - 0
Delaware..000 221 30X - 8 - 12 - 1
D: Davis, Mahoney (7); T: Zimmermann, Sapp (7), Marriggi (8); DP: D - 2, T - 1; LOB: D - 5, T - 9; 2B: Policelli (T), Giacchino (D), Scott (D), Donkin (D), Nardo (D); SB: Lopes (D), Donkin (D), Olenski (D); WP: Davis (5-3); LP: Zimmermann (4-4); Attendance: 215.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Joe Wirth | jwirth@udel.edu (email) | 302-831-6519 (office) | 484-883-2804 (cell)
