HARRISONBURG, VA – The University of Delaware baseball team could not overcome a red-hot James Madison offense as the Dukes scored seven runs in the fourth to push their one-run lead into an eight-run advantage before cruising to a 13-7 victory over the Hens during their Colonial Athletic Association showdown at Long Field on Sunday afternoon.

In the loss, Jared Olson, Ryan Cuneo, and Pat Dameron all finished with two hits and a home run for Delaware (11-22, 5-10 CAA), while Adam Tsakonas also went 2-for-4 to help balance out the Hens’ 11-hit attack. Despite the team’s offense exploits, the Blue Hen pitching staff surrendered 13 runs on 17 hits to James Madison (25-8, 15-2) as the Dukes completed the three-game sweep.

Entering the bottom of the fourth, Delaware only trailed by one, but James Madison pieced together a seven-run rally to put the game out-of-reach. During the inning, the Dukes loaded the bases with no outs before Joe Lake notched a sacrifice fly to left. After an intentional walk to Brett Sellers reloaded the bases, one run came home on a throwing error by Ryan Reed before a two-run single off the bat of Steven Caseres pushed the team’s lead to 8-3.

The Dukes eventually extended their lead to eight runs after plating three more following singles by Trevor Knight and Matt Browning along with an error on Pat Dameron and a wild pitch by Dan Richardson.

One inning later, Lake and Caseres came back for more as the two notched RBI hits to push James Madison’s lead to 10.

Down double-digits, Delaware slowly chipped away at its deficit, scoring two runs in both the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, Olson crushed his fourth home run of the season on a solo shot to right center before a double by Kyle Davis brought in Dameron, who earlier had reached on his own two-base hit down the left field line.

Cuneo followed with his third home run of the season, and second of the series, on a two-run blast to centerfield in the seventh that pulled the Blue Hens within six at 13-7. That was as close as Delaware would get, however, as Madison’s James Weiner shut down the Blue Hen lineup to pick up his second save of the season.

Olson (1-2), who worked double-duty for the first 3.1 innings of play after starting on the mound for the Hens, was handed the loss. The Dukes’ Kurt Houck (4-1) earned the win, striking out 11 while allowing six runs in his six innings of work.

James Madison struck first in the game after plating two runs during its first crack at Olson. After the Hens’ junior righty walked the first two batters he faced, Caseres ripped an RBI double to left before Knight knocked in the second run with a single to right.

The very next inning, Delaware hit back, cutting the deficit in half after scoring its first run of the game. Cuneo roped a double to right center and scored when Olson helped himself by smacking a single back up the middle. Although Olson swiped second for his first stolen base of the season, he was stranded in scoring position as Houck induced two ground outs to end the inning.

The Dukes wasted little time coming up with a response to the Hens’ run as James Madison recaptured its two-run lead after scoring once in the bottom of the second. Alex Foltz led the way, roping a two-out single to center before stealing second and coming home on a hit by Joe Lake.

Following the top of the third that saw Delaware load the bases but come away empty-handed, James Madison pushed its lead to three when Brett Garner launched a home run to right center.

Delaware answered with two in the top of the fourth after Olson reached on an error to lead off the inning and Dameron followed with his second home run of the season to pull the Hens’ within one. The team could get no closer, though, as the next three batters went down on strikes before James Madison broke the game open in its half of the frame.

Along with the team’s lineup, freshman reliever Matt Harden proved to be a bright spot for Delaware. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Week worked 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, striking out two while scattering three this.

With the loss, Delaware has now lost eight of its nine conference road games this season.

The Blue Hens will return to the diamond on Tuesday when they travel to Temple for a non-conference contest beginning at 3 p.m.

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