BROOKLINE, MA -- The University of Delaware baseball team used its potent offense to overwhelm Northeastern University in a doubleheader sweep of Colonial Athletic Association games on Saturday afternoon at Parsons Field. The Hens took game one by the score of 16-5 before winning the second game 11-5.

Ryan Jablonski (right) had six hits on the day for the Hens, including five RBI and five runs scored. Alex Buchholz hit two home runs in game one, while Brandon Menchaca had two triples in the nightcap. The Hens (18-18, 10-9 CAA) are now above .500 in CAA play for the first time this season, and are back to .500 overall for the first time all season.

In game one, Delaware stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Jablonski led off with a ground-rule double, and then scored on a double by Menchaca. With one out, Bryan Hagerich’s epic home run put the Hens up 3-0. Bill Merkler followed with a two-out home run to give the Hens a four-run lead before the first inning was over.

After adding an unearned run in the second the Hens scored three more in the fourth when Buchholz blasted his second three-run home run in three games to give the Hens an 8-0 lead. Buchholz second home run of the day, a two-run shot in the sixth inning put the Hens up 10-0. The Hens added five more in the frame to take a 15-0 lead.

Billy Harris pitched 6.2 innings for his fourth win of the season, while Husky starter Jeff Thomson took the loss to fall to 4-4.

As they did in the first game, the Blue Hens took a lead in the top of the first. With one out, Menchaca tripled to centerfield and then scored on a wild pitch by Husky starter Kris Dabrowiecki. Buchholz followed with an infield single, and he later scored when second baseman Garrett Chin made a fielding and throwing error on the same play.

Northeastern got one back in their half of the inning. David Gustafson reached on an infield single, stole second and then scored on a single by Mike Tamsin.

Delaware scored again in the top of the second. With one out, Kyle Davis doubled deep to right centerfield and then Jablonski followed with his fifth hit of the day, a double to left-center that scored Davis and put the Hens up 3-1. The Hens sustained the momentum in the bottom of the second, when starting pitcher Brent Gaphardt struck out the first two batters before allowing a hit Chin. Gaphardt promptly picked Chin off first base to end the inning.

The Huskies tied the score in the third when Tamsin’s RBI groundout scored Mike Lyon and then Dan Milano followed with a double down the leftfield line. Josh Porter’s single scored Milano with the tying run.

After losing the lead in the bottom of the third, the Hens took it back with four runs in the top of the fourth. With two on and one out, Jablonski’s sixth hit of the day scored Danny Overcash and Davis. Menchaca followed with his second triple of the day to score Jablonski, and then Buchholz’ sacrifice fly to right put the Hens up by the score of 7-3.

Northeastern loaded the bases with one out in their half of the fourth. Delaware reliever Dan Richardson then got an RBI groundout from Lyon and then struck out Tamsin to get out of the jam.

The game was delayed 45 minutes in the top of the fifth due to rain. In the bottom of the inning, James Donaldson’s sacrfice fly scored Milano to cut the Delaware lead to 7-5.

The Hens got one back in the sixth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Shockley, and added three more in the seventh. David Slovak put down the Huskies in order in the seventh for his seventh save.

Richardson earned his first college win, while Dabrowiecki took the loss to fall to 6-2. Slovak’s seventh save tied the Delaware single-season record set in 2004 by Joe Coudon.

The Hens and Huskies will wrap-up their series tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

Boxscore 1 / Boxscore 2