University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
#13 College of Charleston (CAA Tournament)
Top-Seeded Charleston Eliminates Delaware from CAA Tournament with 4-1 Victory
5/23/2015 1:02:00 PM | Baseball
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – The University of Delaware baseball team's spirited post-season run ended Saturday morning as the Blue Hens were eliminated from the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, falling to No. 13 ranked and top-seeded College of Charleston 4-1 at The Ballpark at Patriots Point.
Charleston starter Hayden McCutcheon put together the longest and best start of his career as the righty tossed a complete game six-hitter and the only run he surrendered was unearned.
“We put together a great run down here and I am very proud of these guys,” said University of Delaware head coach Jim Sherman. “Charleston's pitcher was fantastic today, but we had our share of great pitching recently. I loved how we focused and played well down the stretch this season.”
Delaware made its deepest run into the CAA Tournament since the 2012 squad advanced to the championship game before falling to UNCW.
On Saturday, both teams went scoreless in the first two inning, but Charleston took the lead with a two-run third. The Cougars recorded their first run when UD (26-24) starting pitcher Taylor Mahoney balked. Charleston then added to its lead on a Bradley Jones RBI single.
The Cougars (43-12) extended their margin to three runs on a Carl Wise RBI triple in the fifth. Erven Roper then supplied Charleston's fourth run of the game on an RBI double in the sixth inning.
Delaware's lone run came when Diaz Nardo led off the eighth inning with a double down the left field line and eventually scored from third on a passed ball.
Greg Olenski posted UD's second extra-base hit of the contest with a two-out double in the ninth inning, but Tyler Powell popped up to the first baseman in foul territory to end the game and the season for the Blue Hens.
Delaware's pitching was again strong Saturday as Mahoney made his first start of the season and the southpaw allowed three earned runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work. Luke Alicknavitch pitched 3.1 innings of relief and surrendered just one hit while registering three strikeouts.
Olenski led the Blue Hens with two hits in the contest, while four other Delaware batters posted one hit each.
Charleston and UNCW will now square off in the Championship Round of the CAA Tournament. If UNCW wins Saturday, they will be champions and receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but if Charleston wins, a deciding game will be played Sunday.
Brock Niggebrugge and Adam Davis represented Delaware on the CAA All-Tournament Team.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
· Charleston defeated the Hens four out of five times this season.
· Jones and Wise led the Cougars with two hits each and Wise posted a team-high two RBI.
· Saturday marked Mahoney's longest outing of the season.
· UD finished the season winning eight of its last 12 games, including posting three straight elimination game victories in the CAA Tournament.
· Ten Delaware seniors played their last college game Saturday.
· Brock Niggebrugge led the Hens with a .462 average in the CAA Tournament while Olenski posted a team-high seven hits in the post-season.
AGATE
Charleston....002 011 000 - 4 - 7 - 0
Delaware......000 000 010 - 1 - 6 - 2
D: Mahoney, Alicknavitch (6); C: McCutcheon; LOB: D - 4, C - 7; DP: C - 1; 2B: Olenski (D), Nardo (D), Wise (C), Jones (C), Roper (C); 3B: Wise (C); SB: Pappas (C); WP: McCutcheon (1-1); LP: Mahoney (1-3).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Joe Wirth | jwirth@udel.edu (email) | 302-831-6519 (office) | 484-883-2804 (cell)
