Photo Courtesy of Chris Permar

• Game No. 1 Boxscore
• Game No. 2 Boxscore
• Game No. 3 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. – Behind Bill Merkler’s two home runs, the University of Delaware baseball team picked up a victory after completing Saturday’s suspended game before dropping both ends of Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader to Manhattan at an overcast Bob Hannah Stadium.

The Blue Hens earned an 11-5 victory in the opening action on Sunday after completing the final three innings of Saturday’s suspended game. Later, Delaware (6-5) dropped both ends of Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader, 11-9 and 11-7, to Manhattan (3-5).

Merkler (at right) led the Blue Hen offense all weekend long, going 8-for-15 with 11 RBI, eight runs scored, and three home runs, including two grand slams.

Carlos Alonso also had a strong Sunday afternoon, going 4-for-8 with two runs scored in the doubleheader. Pat Dameron, Chris Nehl, Scott Shockley, and Ryan Cuneo also chipped in with three hits apiece.

During the first four innings of Saturday’s suspended game, Merkler and Corey Crispell spearheaded the Blue Hens’ efforts. Merkler launched his second grand slam of the day in the third inning to give Delaware a 4-1 advantage.

While Merkler was lighting up the scoreboard, Crispell was keeping Manhattan’s half blank. Although the Jaspers scored a first-inning run, the sophomore right-hander shut out the visitors during the day’s final three frames.

After picking up the game in the top of the fifth on Sunday, the Blue Hens seemingly put the game away early after scoring five runs in the fifth. Nehl started the rally with an RBI double, while Shockley and Matt Greco knocked in two runs apiece to give Delaware a 9-1 lead.

Despite a four-run rally by Manhattan in the sixth, Delaware shot back with two more in the bottom of the frame after Nehl walked and Merkler clocked his third home run of the weekend.

Eventually, Matt Harden closed out the game with a scoreless 1.2 innings of work. Crispell benefited from the strong relief effort, earning his second win of the season after allowing just one run on two hits in his four innings on the mound.

Zac Goyer was handed the loss for Manhattan after surrendering four runs in three innings of work.

The Jaspers rebounded from the loss quickly, grabbing an early three-run lead during the first game of Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader. Despite the early deficit, the Hens had an effective response, exploding for eight runs in the bottom of the third.

Pat Dameron started the inning with a single and quickly came home after Kyle Davis launched a home run to right. Carlos Alonso kept the rally going, hustling down the first base line before sliding into the bag to beat out an infield hit. Cuneo immediately capitalized on the hustle play, slamming an offering over the right field fence to give the team a 4-3 lead.

Later, Ryan Reed tattooed a ball up the middle that eventually brought in Nehl, and Dameron came back to cap the eight-run rally with a three-run shot to right.

After a scoreless frame, Manhattan fought back from the five-run deficit to knot the game at eight. The Jasper attack was led by Anthony Armenio’s grand slam after Mark Onorati kicked off the rally with an RBI single.

With the score even at 10, Delaware wasted little time before breaking the deadlock. In the bottom of the fifth, Shockley sliced a double down the leftfield line that chased in Reed, who hustled around to score from first.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Jaspers regained an 11-9 advantage after plating three in the sixth coming on home runs by Kevin Nieto and Onorati.

Following a spotless relief appearance by Tom Moran, Manhattan picked up the two-run victory. Moran earned a save for his work, while Mike Tibbets garnered the win. Devon Pearson took the loss after surrendering three runs in his relief outing.

The final game of the marathon was a pitcher’s duel early as Delaware’s Rich O’Donald and Manhattan’s Mike Gazzola looked sharp out of the gate.

In the top of the second, Olson made a spectacular diving grab in left field to keep the game scoreless before the Blue Hens finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame. Delaware manufactured the game’s first run in the second after Merkler led off with a walk and took third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run with Shockley. Dameron followed with an RBI groundout to stake the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The Hens tacked on two more in the third after Alonso legged out a double to right before Nehl slammed a two-run shot to left center. Merkler later continued his torrid series in the fifth, knocking in his 11th run of the weekend with a single to center that spotted Delaware a 4-0 advantage.

With the offense clicking, O’Donald continued his strong performance on the mound as the freshman cruised in just his second collegiate start. The rookie right-hander fired six-strong innings, allowing only two runs on three hits before giving way to the Blue Hen bullpen.

Despite the strong outing by O’Donald, the Delaware relief effort could not close out the game. Will Blackman and Matt Harden surrendered five of the Jaspers’ seven runs in the top of the seventh. Nieto and Onorati both homered during the rally to give Manhattan its first lead of the game at 7-4.

With darkness closing in, Shockley gave the Blue Hens new life after clocking a three-run shot to retie the game at seven. An ensuing argument led to an ejection of Manhattan head coach Kevin Leighton, but the Jaspers rallied in his absence.

In the top of the eighth, Ryan Masters and Onorati started the inning with singles before Chad Salem matched Shockley’s home run with a three-run shot of his own. Following an RBI single by Mike McCann, Manhattan grabbed an 11-7 lead and held on for the victory.

Tom Moran earned the win in relief for the Jaspers, while Harden took the loss for the Hens. Despite falling short in the nightcap, Harden became the first Delaware pitcher to appear in three separate games on the same day. The rubber-armed right-hander eventually finished the series with six innings pitched and went 1-1 in four appearances on the mound.

The Blue Hens will return to action on Tuesday when the team travels to College Park, Md. to take on the Maryland Terrapins at 3 p.m.