Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - Kyle Davis roped a two-run single to cap off a ninth inning rally that lifted the University of Delaware baseball team to a 7-6 victory over intrastate rival Delaware State on Thursday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.

Trailing by two entering the bottom of the ninth, the Blue Hens came back with a clutch three-run rally, capped by the single from Davis (at right), to pull out the one-run win.

Chris Nehl started the rally by launching a solo home run to left that pulled Delaware (17-8) within one. Steve Ulaky immediately followed with a pinch hit double that found open space in left centerfield.

With the tying run in scoring position, Ryan Reed was plunked by a pitch before Pat Dameron garnered an intentional walk that loaded the bases with two outs. With the game on the line, Delaware’s senior co-captain came through with the walk-off hit through the left side of the infield that just snuck past the out-stretched arms of Delaware State’s shortstop.

The victory helped avenge a come-from-behind win by Delaware State (10-12-1) last year that saw the Hornets rally from four runs down in the top of the ninth to claim a 10-6 victory in Newark.

In the early going, Delaware State looked strong as the team jumped out to a quick lead after scoring two in the second. Despite their early deficit, though, the Blue Hens answered, one run at a time, over the next three frames.

In the bottom of the second, Delaware loaded the bases with no outs after Reed was hit by a pitch and both Jared Olson and Scott Shockley worked walks. Although in prime position to do big damage, a sacrifice fly by Dameron was all the team could muster.

With their deficit cut in half, the Blue Hens came back to knot the game in the third. After the Hornets flipped a nice double play to eliminate an early threat in the frame, Merkler came back with a booming shot to left that knotted the score at two. It marked the senior outfielder’s 11th home run of the season and his fifth in the last six games.

One inning later, Delaware took its first lead after Olson drew his second walk of the contest, moved to third on a single by Shockley, and scored on a base hit by Dameron.

As the lineup fought its way back into the game, the Blue Hen pitching staff kept Delaware State off the board. After surrendering two early runs, Devon Pearson settled in and threw two spotless frames before handing the ball off to the bullpen.

Michael O’Keeffe took over and kept the Hornets quiet in the fifth and sixth before the visitors plated four in the latter part of the contest to grab the lead.

In the seventh, a Wynton Weather RBI groundout tied the game at three apiece. After Shockley unknotted the contest with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning, the Hornets answered with three in the eighth.

After Delaware State loaded the bases with just one out, Ross Babineaux followed with a two-run single to right. Abe Eubanks later added the team’s final run with an RBI single that gave the squad a 6-4 advantage.

Despite their resiliency, the Hornets could not hold on as Delaware’s late-game heroics gave the hosts a walk-off victory.

Nehl finished the game with four hits and two runs scored, while Merkler, Shockley, and Dameron all had two hits apiece.

Carlos Alonso was held hitless during the game, marking the end of his 15-game hitting streak. He has still reached base in each of the team’s 25 games this season, however, after the junior third baseman worked a walk in the eighth.

Michael Londino (1-0) picked up the victory for the Hens, while Justin Bittner (3-1) was handed the loss.

Delaware will return to action tomorrow when the team opens up a three-game series with Georgia State at 3 p.m