NEWARK, DE -- Adam Tsakonas clocked his third home run of the season for the University of Delaware, but Princeton sophomore Jack Murphy clubbed two home runs and added seven RBI to lead the Tigers to a doubleheader sweep over Delaware as the Hens dropped the opener, 6-4, before also falling in the second game, 8-5, at Bob Hannah Stadium during a Sunday afternoon twinbill.

Murphy, the Tigers’ catcher, hit a home run in every game of the series after smacking a solo shot in the opener before crushing a three-run bomb in the nightcap. He finished the series with six hits, including four home runs, to help Princeton (3-1) take the last three games of the non-conference series.

Along with Tsakonas, freshman Jon Duvall (at right) led the Blue Hen offense after roping three hits in the first game before adding another one in the second.

The first game looked promising for Delaware (3-4) after the Hens struck quickly as they posted a two-out rally in the opening frame of the game. Alex Buchholz worked a walk to start the surge before Jared Olson lined a single to left field. Ryan Cuneo followed with a ringing double to left. Although Princeton’s leftfielder Micah Kaplan had a beat on the ball and made a spectacular diving effort, the ball squirted away and rolled to the wall as Buchholz and Olson came sprinting home.

Pat Dameron, the team’s freshman designated hitter, continued the rally after reaching on an error before Ryan Reed capped it off with a run-scoring double to right center.

Princeton quickly answered the Hens’ fast start with a four-run inning in the second. Spencer Lucian led off the frame with a walk, reached second on a ground out by Brian Berkowitz, and stole third. Jon Broscious followed with an RBI ground out to shortstop before Kaplan started the Tigers’ own two-out rally after working the team’s second walk of the inning.

Centerfielder Derek Beckman, who went 6-for-7 in yesterday’s doubleheader, started off strong again after roping a single to second base that was handled by Jon Duvall but thrown away after he tried to make the play at first. On the error, Kaplan came around to score. Dan DeGeorge continued to make the Hens pay for the miscue, crushing a two-run home run to left that put Princeton up, 4-3.

After Delaware went down in the bottom of the second, Tiger catcher Jack Murphy opened up the third inning with a blast off the batter’s eye in dead center field.

In the fourth, Delaware cut the lead to one after a single by Duvall and walks to Davis and Tsakonas loaded the bases before Buchholz chased in a run with a fielder’s choice. Although Olson worked a walk to reload the bases, the Hens could not muster another run as reliever David Palms forced pinch hitter Matt Harden to fly out to right center for the final out of the inning.

The following frame Princeton answered with their own run as Adrian Turnham hit a solo shot that just snuck inside the right field foul pole to put the Tigers back up by two at 6-4. Princeton looked primed to open up the game after their next two runners reached base, but Delaware’s Brad Miller worked out of the inning as he struck out two before cutting down Beckman at first base after handling a shot back to the mound.

In the seventh and final inning, the Hens went down in order due in large part to a great catch by Broscious on a wind-swept ball hit by Harden. After the Hens’ first baseman lifted a long fly to right, the wind caught it as Broscious and Beckman converged. As the right fielder gloved the ball, Beckman inadvertently undercut his teammate, but Broscious held on despite the collision.

David Palms (1-0) picked up his first victory for Princeton with 3.1 innings of relief. Brian Rorick (1-1) took the loss.

In the second game, Princeton got on the board quickly as DeGeorge led off the game with a double to center and was followed by a walk to Noel Gonzales-Luna. One batter later, Murphy came through with his fourth home run of the series on a three-run shot to right field.

Delaware came back with a two-spot in the bottom of the first after Davis doubled and Tsakonas clocked his team-leading third home run of the year.

After the teams traded scoreless frames in the second, both squads chased a run across in the third as Murphy drove in Gonzales-Luna with a sacrifice fly before a single by Dameron brought home Olson in the bottom of the inning.

Following two more scoreless frames, the Tigers stretched their lead to five after they touched up reliever Dan Richardson for a run in back-to-back innings before pinning two on Steve Spiese in the eighth.

Although Delaware scored once in both the eighth and ninth innings on RBI singles by Dameron and Buchholz, it was not enough as the Hens came up three runs short.

Princeton reliever Matt Welsh (1-0) picked up the win after firing four strong innings out of the bullpen. Delaware starter Matt Harden (0-1) took the loss.

The Blue Hens’ two starting middle infielders were the bright spots for the offense as Duvall went 4-for-6 over the two games, while Davis went 3-for-8. Buchholz, Olson, and Dameron also had multi-hit efforts.

The Blue Hens will return to action on Tuesday for a mid-week non-conference showdown with the UMBC Retrievers at Bob Hannah Stadium beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Game No. 1 Boxscore

Game No. 2 Boxscore