Blue Hens Drop 3-2 Heartbreaker to Fairfield In Home Opener

Friday, March 8

3 p.m.

University of Delaware

0-12

Fairfield

1-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Fairfield	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	9	0
Delaware	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	2

Photo by: Mark Campbell

Blue Hens Drop 3-2 Heartbreaker to Fairfield In Home Opener

3/8/2019 7:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – Every pitch, every at-bat, every inning matters.

That's what the University of Delaware baseball team is learning this year and again on Friday when the Blue Hens dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to Fairfield in the series opener of a three-game set against the Stags. It was Delaware's 2019 home opener.

"I thought this was a really good baseball game between two teams that really battled. I told our guys it came down to a one-inning battle in the ninth and we got outplayed in all areas in that final inning. You have to give credit to Fairfield for continuing to grind and executing in the ninth to pull out the win," head coach Jim Sherman said. "We are playing with this weight on our shoulders to crack through with our first win and we can't play like that, you have to play loose and it's not easy for us right now. We just have to come back out tomorrow and try to focus on winning the series."

In his first start at Bob Hannah Stadium in nearly two years, redshirt junior Brandon Walter was outstanding, allowing just one run in seven-plus innings of work, while scattering seven hits and striking out seven.

Offensively, senior Erik Bowren had two hits and two RBIs, while senior Vinny Vaccone also had a multi-hit performance in the home opener.

"I thought Walt was terrific for us today and it's a shame we couldn't get a win when we get that type of performance on the mound," Sherman said.

Walter set the tone from the beginning, retiring six of Fairfield's first seven hitters on the day. The Stags tried to build a rally in the top of the third with two singles, but Walter pitched out of the jam to keep the game scoreless.

In the home half of the third, Joseph Carpenter and Austin Colmery worked back-to-back walks to lead off the frame and after a sac bunt moved them over, Bowren ripped a single up the middle to plate two runs and give Delaware a 2-0 lead.

Walter again went to work, sitting down six of Fairfield's next eight hitters before the Stags finally plated a run in the top of the sixth to make it a 2-1 game.

Delaware would have a runner on second in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but Fairfield was able to pitch out of each jam to keep it a one-run game.

In the ninth, the Stags took advantage of a fielding miscue and used two timely hits to score two runs and take a 3-2 lead.

Bowren worked a one-out walk in the ninth, but Delaware was able to scratch out the game-tying run.

Up Next

The two teams meet on Saturday for the second game of the two-game series. Game time at Bob Hannah Stadium is set for 1 p.m.