FAIRFAX, VA -- Billy Harris allowed two runs and struck out seven in seven innings on the mound, and the first six batters in the Delaware order recorded two hits apiece in leading the University of Delaware baseball team to a 6-2 Colonial Athletic Association win on Saturday afternoon at Spuhler Field.
Ryan Jablonski hit a home run and scored two runs for the Hens, while Bill Merkler (right) homered and had two RBI.
Delaware (8-16, 4-7 CAA) took the lead in the top of the second inning. Adam Tsakonas led off with a single and then stole second. Merkler found himself buried in the count at 0-2, but battled back to a full count and poked Patriot starter Mike Modica’s 3-2 pitch through the middle to score Tsakonas with the first Blue Hen run.
George Mason (14-16, 9-7 CAA) tied the game with Jason Bour’s eighth home run with one out in the second inning.
In the top of the third, Tsakonas’ two-on, two-out single up the middle brought in Jablonski to give the Hens a 2-1 lead. After Merkler walked, however, Modica was able to get a groundout to second base from Scott Shockley to leave the bases loaded.
George Mason tied the game again in the bottom of the third. With one out, Scott Krieger doubled into the gap in right center to score Chris Fournier from first base and tie the game at 2-2. The hit would have scored two runs, but Harris picked off Spencer Wiggins, who had been hit by a pitch.
Delaware took the lead back again in the top of the fourth when Jablonski’s third home run of the season landed just out of the reach of Mason rightfielder Chris Henderson. Brandon Menchaca followed with a double off the top of the wall in center, and then scored on Alex Buchholz’ single up the middle. All three Delaware hits in the inning came after recording two outs.
The Patriots then put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom half of the fourth. However, Harris then got Dan Palumbo to line out to right, struck out Brent Weiss and then Jablonski threw out the speedy Wiggins at first on a safety squeeze attempt to end the inning with no runs scoring.
The Hens increased their lead in the top of the seventh. After Buchholz led off with a double down the leftfield line, Hagerich followed with single to centerfield to bring Buchholz home. After Tsakonas grounded into a double play, Merkler tattooed an 0-1 pitch from Patriot reliever Dan Gerjets deep up the hill beyond the leftfield wall for a 6-2 lead.
Harris earned the win for the Hens to move to 2-1, while Modica took the loss to fall to 2-4.
Delaware and George Mason will wrap up their series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. when Chad Kerfoot takes the hill for the Blue Hens against Dan Jaycox for the Patriots.
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