Delaware Earns Two Decisive Wins, Sweeps Hofstra 8-4 and 13-3 in CAA Weekend Series Opener

Friday, April 8

Hempstead, N.Y.

12:00 PM

University of Delaware

Hofstra

Delaware Earns Two Decisive Wins, Sweeps Hofstra 8-4 and 13-3 in CAA Weekend Series Opener

4/8/2016 3:45:00 PM | Baseball

By: Delaware Athletics

• Game 1 Boxscore
• Game 2 Boxscore

Jim Sherman, who improved to 35-15 all-time vs. the Pride. “We got good pitching, hitting, and defense today. We had

big days with the bat from (Kyle) Baker, (Jordan) Glover, and (Jeremy) Ake and good overall pitching in both games. Hopefully this gets us rolling again. I was really proud of our guys' performance today.”

The Hens (20-11, 3-5 CAA), who reached the 20-win mark for the 44th straight season since 1973, have now won three straight and four of their last five and won their first league series in three tries this spring.

In the opener, Delaware shortstop Ake broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run single in the sixth inning to spark the Blue Hens to the 8-4 win. UD starter, sophomore Ron Marinaccio, allowed three innings in 5.1 innings of work to improve to 6-1. Kevin Milley, Nick Spadafino, and Colman Vila closed out the victory with an inning of work each.

After Hofstra (8-23, 1-6 CAA) took a 3-1 lead after three innings, the Hens battled back to tie it with a run in the fourth and then went ahead for good with the three-run sixth. Nick Patten led off the sixth inning with a single, Diaz Nardo followed with a double, and Ake brought both of them home with a two-run single to left. Ake later scored on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Mohollen for a 7-3 lead.

Delaware tacked on two more runs in the ninth on a RBI double by Nick Tierno and a run-scoring single from Nardo. Glover had three hits, including an RBI double in the opening frame, to lead the 13-hit attack.

In the nightcap, Delaware banged out 20 hits and scored two runs in each of the first three innings on the way to the easy 10-run victory. Baker went 4 for 6 and upped his team-leading batting average to .417, Nardo and Ake each banged out three hits, Ake and Glover contributed two RBI each, and catcher Adam Rapp knocked in three runs, including a two-run homer in the second inning. The Hens later scored six runs in the seventh inning to pull away.

The Hens got another solid pitching effort in the second game as freshman Kyle Hinton (2-0) (above left) made his first career start and earned the win by allowing just three hits and two runs in five innings. Burk FitzPatrick had his second straight solid outing in relief for UD as he allowed just one run and one hit in four innings to earn his second save.

HEN SCRATCHINGS:
• Delaware has now won the series vs. Hofstra three straight times, has won 2 of 3 meetings in six of the last eight series, and on Sunday will go for its first season sweep over the Pride since 2006
• Baker extended his hitting streak to 10 games and has now been on base in 15 straight contests
• Tierno has now reached base in 14 straight games
• The Hens' 20 hits in the nightcap marked the fourth time this season the Hens have surpassed the 20-hit mark.
• Delaware did not commit an error in either game and is now errorless in three straight games and four of the last five

AGATE:

Game 1
Delaware.......110 103 002 - 8-13-0
Hofstra..........102 000 010 - 4-12-3

Marinaccio, Milley (6), Spadafino (8), Vila (9) and Mayer; Weiss, Bonk (6), Mundy (8), and Hardardt, Friscia (8); E - Karl (H); Archer (H); DP - D-1; H-1; LOB - D-9; H-11; 2B - Baker (D), Tierno (D); Glover (D); Nardo (D); Foster (H); Witkowski -2 (H); Bottari (H); 3B - Foster (H); HR - Cillis (H); HBP - Leiderman (H); SF - Mohollen (D); SB - Bottari (H); CS - Glover (D), Witkowski (H); WP: Marinaccio (6-1); LP: Weiss (1-3).

Game 2
Delaware......222 010 600 - 13-20-0
Hofstra.........100 001 100 - 3 - 4 - 3

Hinton, Fitzpatrick (6) and Rapp; Matteson, Heidenfelder (6), Altieri (7), Eisenberg (7), Jesch (9) and Friscia; E - Cillis (H); O'Connor (H); Eisenberg(H); DP - D - 1; LOB - D-9; H-6; 2B - Baker (D); Ake (D); Cillis (H); HR - Rapp (D); Annunziata (H); Dolente (H); SH - Ake (D); SF - Friscia (H); SB - Baker (D); WP: Hinton (2-0); LP; Matteson (2-3); Save: Fitzpatrick (2); A - 133.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129