Blue Hens Open Season with Sunday Sweep of La Salle

Sunday, March 7

Newark, Del.

1 p.m.

University of Delaware

1-0

La Salle University

4-4

La Salle

Delaware

Photo by: Mark Campbell

3/7/2021 9:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Mitchell Balint homers in first career plate appearance and picks up hits in first five trips

NEWARK, Del. – It was nearly one year to the day since the University of Delaware baseball team took the field, and it was well worth the wait, as the Blue Hens picked up a pair of wins in a Sunday twin bill over La Salle by 7-4 and 14-4 finals at Bob Hannah Stadium.

"The guys were just so excited to get back to the field and get back to playing baseball and I think they showed that today," said 21^st-year head coach Jim Sherman. "Our starting pitching was fantastic in Chris and Dom, and we got the timely hits we needed to. Really appreciate all of the work this team and this University has put in to get us back to playing baseball."

It's the first time since 2009 that Delaware has opened a season 2-0.

Game One
Junior Chris Ludman got the ball and worked a 1-2-3 first inning to get the Blue Hens to the plate where redshirt junior Jordan Hutchins singled up the middle before graduate student Kyle Baker wasted no time, roping a triple to right-center field to give Delaware a 1-0 lead.

They never looked back, tacking on a run in each of the next two innings, while Ludman worked scoreless frames. Freshman Mitchell Balint sent a home run over the right-field wall in his first career at-bat to make it 2-0 in the second and senior Jack Goan drove home freshman Joey Loynd in the third.

The Explorers were able to get on the board in the fourth inning, but Ludman worked around trouble all afternoon. He struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 sixth inning and stranded the bases loaded in the seventh with a timely double play.

Ludman went 8.0-plus innings, striking out nine to match his career high. He allowed three earned and eight hits, while walking just two. He struck out the side in the eighth before coming back out in the ninth.

Graduate student Derek Wakeley came out of the bullpen to shut the door and strike out two in the ninth.

Balin was 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs while Hutchins had a 3-for-5 game out of the lead-off spot with a run and an RBI. Loynd was also 3-for-5 with a double and a run.

Game Two
The Blue Hens picked up right where they left off, picking up a five-spot in the first inning after freshman Dom Velazquez struck out two in his first career inning.

Balint picked up a hit in the first inning to make it five-straight plate appearances with a base hit to open up his career. Goan doubled to right to score a pair and junior Joseph Carpenter hit a triple down the right-field line to score Goan in the first.

Velazquez was in control, working 6.0 innings and punching out eight batters, the most by a Delaware rookie in their debut since now-professional in the Phillies organization Billy Sullivan IV punched out nine in 2018. Velazquez scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run while walking only one.

Junior Mike Biasiello came out of the bullpen to go two innings, allowing no hits and striking out three.

Hutchins was productive again with a 2-for-4 game two with three runs and an RBI, reaching base four times with a pair of walks. Balint, Carpenter and redshirt sophomore Tyler Juhl each had multi-hit games.

Delaware returns to action next weekend with a home-and-home Saturday, Sunday series with Villanova. First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the road, before the Blue Hens host the Wildcats at 1 p.m. Sunday at Bob Hannah Stadium.

For the latest on the Delaware baseball program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareBASE and Instagram @delawarebase and like "Delaware Baseball" on Facebook.

Notes

Ludman's nine strikeouts matched his career high from his March 23, 2019 outing at James Madison.
The duo of junior Jordan Hutchins and sophomore Joseph Carpenter started its 71st straight game together while Goan made his 56th straight start.
Loynd and senior Vinny Vaccone have each reached base in their last seven games.
Hutchins and Baker now have hits in their last seven games, dating back to the shortened 2020 season. Hutchins has a hit in 12 of his last 13, while Baker has hits in 10 of his last 11.
It was the first season-opening win for the Blue Hens since a 6-1 victory over Stetson to open the 2016 campaign.
Delaware is 2-0 to open a season for the first time since 2009, when they won at Longwood in the opening two games.