GREENSBORO, NC -- The University of Delaware baseball team fell to UNC Greensboro, 5-1, on Friday afternoon at the UNC Greensboro Baseball Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

Senior co-captain Scott Rambo (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) took the loss for the Blue Hens, allowing eight hits and five earned runs while striking out three in 3.2 innings of work. Chris Mason picked up the win for the Spartans by allowing only one unearned run on two hits while not walking a batter in seven innings on the mound.

Senior Ryan Graham (Danville, IL/Danville-right) led the Delaware offense by batting 1-for-4 and scoring the Hens' lone run in the fourth inning when UNC Greensboro second baseman Jeremy Roulin committed an error on a ground ball hit by senior Dave Harden (Wilmington, DE/Dickinson). Dan Kozek (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) also singled for Delaware while Brent Rogers (Claymont, DE/Mt. Pleasant) had the only extra base hit for the Hens with a double in the eighth.

Mitch Heckert (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) replaced Rambo in the fourth inning and threw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and not walking a batter.

Danny McClure led the UNC Greensboro attack by going 2-for-3 and scoring three runs while adding an RBI. Adam Deleo and Jon Denote also scored for the Spartans.

Mason struck out 10 batters before being replaced by Wes McCall, who allowed one hit and struck out three in two innings of scoreless relief.

The Spartans got off to a fast start in the first inning as McClure walked and advanced to third when Roulin doubled to left center. Two batters later, McClure scored when Justin Crist flied out to rightfield to give the Spartans the early lead.

UNC Greensboro increased its lead to four in the third inning, beginning with two straight walks by Rambo to Deleo and Denote. McClure then doubled down the right field line to score Deleo, and two batters later Mason singled to score both McClure and Denote.

In the fourth inning Delaware got on the board as Graham singled and moved to third on Todd Davison (Somers Point, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and Kelly Buber (Yuba City, CA/Yuba City)

The three-game series will continue on Saturday at 1 p.m. when junior Blue Hen Jason Rogers (New Castle, DE/William Penn) faces UNC Greensboro's Ryan Falcon.

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