Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. – Bill Merkler launched a clutch grand slam in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader to lift the University of Delaware baseball team to a 15-13 victory over Manhattan during the squad’s home opener at Bob Hannah Stadium.

The second game of the doubleheader was suspended in the fourth inning with Delaware leading, 4-1. Merkler (at right) was responsible for all of the Hens’ runs in the nightcap, clubbing his second grand slam of the day in the third.

Along with Merkler’s big day, Jared Olson smacked his team-leading fifth home run of the season for Delaware (5-3), while Ryan Reed added his second. Carlos Alonso also continued his hot start, ripping four hits and scoring three runs in the opener.

Entering the bottom of the seventh with the slugfest knotted at 10 apiece, Merkler landed the biggest blow of the game. After Alonso singled and Ryan Cuneo and Olson were both hit by pitches, Delaware’s senior slugger cleared the bases after launching a grand slam to left center.

Although Manhattan (1-4) answered with a pair in the eighth, the two teams posted matching runs in their final at bats to cap the scoring at 15-13.

Ryan Cuneo had three hits for the Hens in the opener, while Scott Shockley went 2-for-2.

Alonso wasted no time extending his hitting streak to eight games, leading off the first game with a single to left before coming around to score on a screaming double by Olson down the leftfield line.

After Manhattan pieced together a small rally to knot the game at one in the top of the second, Reed immediately answered. The catcher deposited the first pitch he saw over the leftfield wall. Five batters later, Cuneo laced a two-run single to left that staked Delaware a 4-1 lead.

The Jaspers briefly came back to grab a 5-4 advantage after plating one in the third and three in the fourth, but the Blue Hens responded with a huge five-run rally during their fourth trip through the lineup. Alonso started the surge with an RBI single before Olson launched a three-run home run to right.

After Merkler was hit by a pitch and Reed walked, Pat Dameron lined a single through the right side of the infield to cap the scoring and give the team a 9-5 lead.

Eventually, Alonso came back to spearhead another small rally after starting the fifth with a double, advancing to third on a wild pitch, and scoring on an RBI single by Cuneo. Unfortunately, with the game seemingly in hand, the Blue Hens could not slow down the Jasper offense.

In the sixth, Manhattan chased in four runs, highlighted by RBI hits from Mark Onorati and Ruben Perez. One inning later, Kevin Nieto hit a solo home run to left center that knotted the game at 10.

Despite their resurgence, the Jaspers had no answer for Merkler’s late-game heroics.

Nieto eventually finished with four hits and three runs to lead the Jasper offense. Perez also had four hits for Manhattan, while Onorati knocked in four.

Matt Jordan took the loss for the Jaspers after allowing five runs in three innings of work. Matt Harden earned the win in relief for Delaware, while Will Blackman picked up his first career save after striking out three over the final 1.2 innings.

The remaining three innings of today’s second game will be played tomorrow at noon prior to the regularly-scheduled doubleheader.