Photo Courtesy of R. Todd Miller

NEWARK, DE -- Delaware State scored eight runs in the ninth inning to upend the University of Delaware baseball team, 10-6, in the intrastate rivalry played at Bob Hannah Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Trailing by four entering the last inning of play, the Hornets capitalized on two Hen errors to erase the deficit and post the four-run victory. The ninth-inning collapse overshadowed a great pitching performance by senior Dan Richardson (at right), who struck out five and allowed just a single run in six strong innings of work.

Entering the top of the ninth, the Hens held a comfortable 6-2 advantage and had closer David Slovak in to wrap up the game. The side-wheeling senior ran into some trouble, though, after surrendering back-to-back hits to Ryne Mailen and Wynton Weather before walking pinch hitter Alex Carter to load the bases. With no margin for error, Slovak struck out the next batter but James Johnson roped an RBI single to centerfield which brought home the first run of the inning. A walk to Jose Portela pulled Delaware State within two and spelled the end of Slovak’s day.

Freshman reliever Michael Londino was handed the ball out of the bullpen, but the Hornet attack capitalized on two infield errors to knot the score at six. With new life, Mailen, who started the inning with a single, roped the biggest hit of the game after lacing a Londino offering to the right centerfield gap for a triple that cleared the bases. A wild pitch eventually brought Mailen in with the final run of the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Hens could not piece together a response as the team went down in order. The loss marked the first for the Hens against the Hornets at Bob Hannah Stadium since a 12-11 setback on March 8, 2002. Delaware last lost to its intrastate rival in 2005, when the Hornets pulled out a 4-3 victory in 10 innings at Soldier Field in Dover.

The victory also marked the 200th of Hornet head coach J.P. Blandin’s career, although he celebrated the milestone from outside the stadium after being ejected for arguing a call in the sixth.

Delaware State opened the scoring early after Jose Sanchez led off the second inning with a single, advanced to second on a hit by James Friel, and came around on a single to center by Weather.

Trailing early, the Hens immediately responded with their own run in the bottom of the inning after Ryan Cuneo’s sacrifice fly brought in Scott Shockley, who led off the inning with a walk, moved to second after Ryan Reed also worked a free pass, and advanced to third on a balk.

Following a scoreless third, Delaware struck again in the fourth when Reed clocked his second home run of the season on a shot to right field. The Hens tacked on two more in the fifth after Kyle Davis led off with a single and scored on an RBI triple by Adam Tsakonas. Delaware’s senior tri-captain then put the team up, 4-1, when he scored on the Hornet’s second balk of the game.

One inning later, Delaware stretched its lead to five after Davis lined a two-run double down the left field line which plated Cuneo and Josh Dean. That rally was halted, though, when Davis was cut down trying to go from second to third on a grounder by Tsakonas, and Alex Buchholz was gunned down attempting to stretch a single into a double.

After that point, the Hornets took control of the game with a single run in the eighth before the fateful eight-run ninth.

Slovak (1-2) suffered the loss for the Hens after surrendering five runs, including three earned, in his one inning of work. Chase Kornemann (1-3) picked up the win after striking out two while holding Delaware scoreless in the eighth. Tony Tevis hammered down the improbable comeback with a spotless ninth for his first save of the season.

Despite picking up a no-decision, Richardson was an ace on the mound. The converted outfielder had the best outing of his career, scattering five hits in his six innings of work. His six innings and five strikeouts both set career highs, while he lowered his ERA to 4.95 after surrendering just one earned run.

Davis and Tsakonas both finished with two hits on the day to lead the Delaware offense. The former also knocked in two runs, while the latter made the defensive play of the day after ending the seventh with a fully-extended diving catch on a shot to center by Troy Drummond.

The Hens will return to action tomorrow when they travel to Piscataway, NJ for a 3:30 p.m. showdown with Rutgers.

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