TOWSON, MD -- The University of Delaware baseball team used a school record-tying eight home runs on its way to a 16-8 win over Towson University for its first Colonial Athletic Association win of the 2006 season.

Bryan Hagerich (right) tied a school record with three-home runs, all solo shots, and Dan Richardson also had two home runs for the Hens. Seven of the Hens’ eight home runs were of the solo variety.

The Blue Hens (12-10, 1-6 CAA) used a first inning explosion to jump out to an early 3-0 lead before they made an out. The leadoff man, Richardson, smoked the first pitch of the game over the centerfield wall. Todd Davison followed with a double to left center, and after Alex Buchholz was hit by a pitch, Hagerich scalded a double to left center that scored two runs. Hagerich was thrown out attempting to advance to third on the throw home.

After getting on the board with one run in the bottom of the first, Towson roared back with five in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a leadoff home run by Adam Heffron and a three-run homer by Greg Furmanek that gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead.

In the top of the fourth the Hens used another pair of home runs, solo shots by Adam Tsakonas and Ryan Engelhardt, to draw within 6-5. Bryan Hagerich’s solo home run in the fifth tied the game at six apiece. With no on on and two-outs in the sixth, Dan Richardson crushed the first pitch he saw off of Towson reliever Austin Curd over the wall in left to give the Hens a 6-5 lead. It was the second time on the day that Richardson hit a home run on the first pitch of an at-bat.

The Tigers (9-18,1-9 CAA) threatened in the bottom half of the sixth, loading the bases with only one out. Kevin Brown entered the game, and induced a popup to shortstop and a groundout to short to get the Hens out of the jam unharmed.

With the game at 8-7 in the top of the eighth, the Blue Hens added three more, with the big blow a two-run homer by Davison. The home run was the Hens’ seventh of the day, and the first with a man on base. The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the eighth after already scoring one run to draw to 11-8, as they loaded the bases with only one out. However, Billy Harris struck out Brian Conley after running the count to 3-0, and then Chad Kerfoot struck out Gary Helmick to end the threat.

Bryan Hagerich led off the ninth with his third home run of the game, tying a school record achieved 12 times previously, most recently by Alex Buchholz March 18 at James Madsion. It was also the eighth home run of the game for the Blue Hens, tying a school record achieved five times prior, most recently on March 6, 2002 against Rider. Of the eight home runs, seven of them were solo shots.

The two teams will meet in game two of the three-game set on Saturday at 1 p.m. Mike Santmyer takes the hill for the Tigers against Todd Ozog for the Hens.

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