Hot Start Turns into Extras as Blue Hens Fall to Charleston

Thursday, May 16

Newark, Del.

7 p.m.

University of Delaware

21-31, 9-13

College of Charleston

34-19, 14-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Charleston	0	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	10	16	1
Delaware	5	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	15	2

Hot Start Turns into Extras as Blue Hens Fall to Charleston

5/17/2019 12:45:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Delaware was one out away from the series-opening victory

NEWARK, Del. – The Delaware baseball team's five runs in the first inning would all be necessary on Thursday night against the College of Charleston as it took 16 innings for the Cougars to claim the series opener, 10-7, at Bob Hannah Stadium.

"We really had our chances tonight," said head coach Jim Sherman following the marathon. "We came out with so much energy and had a few bounces go the other way, but we didn't finish it when we had the opportunity."

After junior Brandon Walter needed just four pitches in the first inning to retire the side, the Blue Hens got to work right away when senior Kevin Mohollen opened the inning with a base hit and classmate Erik Bowren drove one out of the park to left to make it 2-0 early.

Four batters later, sophomore Zack Miller wrapped one inside the left-field foul pole to bring home freshman Joseph Carpenter and junior Jack Goan to make it 5-0 after one.

Mohollen put together a 3-for-8 night while Miller was 3-for-7 with four RBIs. Carpenter has now reached base in 42 of the last 43 games and has collected a hit in each of the last five.

Charleston had the answer, plating five of its own in the second and even took the lead in the third, but Miller's big night continued with an RBI double in the home half to tie the game at six. Freshman Zach Lesher gave the Blue Hens the lead back with an RBI ground out to score Miller to make it 7-6.

Walter put up zeroes over the next five innings to get to the bottom of the ninth with a one-run Delaware lead. A two-out Charleston home run would end his night and extend everyone else's.

Junior Derek Wakeley came out of the bullpen to work 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball with just three hits and six punchouts.
The Blue Hens had their biggest chance in the 11^th inning after sophomore Chance DiFebbo and Mohollen each singled and classmate Jordan Hutchins walked to load the bases with two outs, but they were left stranded.

The scoring drought finally concluded in the 16^th when an error allowed a Cougar base runner and a close play along the third base line and a bang-bang play at first helped Charleston plate three in the frame.

Delaware again loaded the bases in the home half to get the winning run to the plate, but the Charleston bullpen worked out of trouble again to close things out.

Junior Vinny Vaccone was the third Blue Hen with three hits on the night, going 3-for-7 and making big time defensive plays all game long.

While the loss does not help in the CAA Tournament hunt, it does not eliminate the Blue Hens just yet. Charleston clinched the two-seed in the postseason event with the victory and there will still be much to play for at Bob Hannah Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.