Blue Hens Fall To UNCW, 6-5, in 11 Innings

Friday, April 22

Newark, Del.

7:00 PM

University of Delaware

21-15, 5-5

UNCW

22-14, 7-3

UNCW

Delaware

Photo by: Mark Campbell

4/22/2022 11:24:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – UNCW pushed across a run on a bases loaded walk in the top of the 11th inning as the Seahawks edged the Blue Hens, 6-5, in the teams' CAA series opener Friday night at Bob Hannah Stadium.

UNCW's John Newton led off the frame with a single, and following two outs and a pair of walks, Ethan Baucom worked another free pass with the bases loaded to force home the go-ahead run.

Eric Ludman reached on an error with two down in the bottom half, but Seahawks reliever Jason Hudak retired John Weglarz on a flyout to right to end the game.

Delaware took the lead when JJ Freeman belted a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, and while later in the frame Jake Dunion doubled and scored on an Aidan Kane single to make it a 2-0 game.

UNCW got a run back in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Taber Mongero, but the Blue Hens went back up a pair in the sixth when Freeman led off with a single and eventually scored on an infield hit by Dunion.

The Seahawks answered with four runs in the seventh on consecutive two-run singles by Matt Suggs and Jac Croom, before UD scored twice in the bottom of the eighth on just one hit to knot the game at 5-5. Joseph Carpenter led off with a walk and crossed the plate on a wild pitch, while Kane singled home Dunion to pull the Blue Hens even.

Delaware had runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Freeman's screaming line drive was caught by Mongero, who doubled Bryce Greenly off first to force extra innings.

Kane finished 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI to pace the Blue Hens, while Freeman and Dunion each added two hits. Chris Ludman allowed five runs on nine hits in the first 6.1 innings, before Mike Biasiello took the loss despite giving up just one run on two hits while striking out six in 4.1 frames.

Jim Sherman
"That was as good of a CAA baseball game as you're going to see. But it's one of those games you surely hate to lose and would love to win. So UNCW is feeling better than us tonight. If the ball Freeman hit was three inches higher, it goes over the shortstop's glove and we win the game. I thought Ludman and Biasiello both threw really well, but it was one of those games that we came up just a little bit short."

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