Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The University of Delaware baseball team advanced to the semifinals of the Liberty Bell Classic after using a nine-run seventh inning to storm past Penn, 13-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Meiklejohn Stadium.

Bill Merkler was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and also chipped in with his team-leading 10th home run of the season, including his fourth in the last five games. Ryan Cuneo (at right) added some firepower as well, launching a grand slam to highlight the nine-run rally.

Cuneo’s slam marked the seventh of the season for the Blue Hens (16-8). No Delaware team has hit more during the program’s 127-year history.

After Penn (10-12) jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, Delaware responded with an offensive onslaught. In the sixth, Cuneo and Chris Nehl started the team’s first rally with one-out singles. Merkler followed with an RBI double to right center before Ryan Reed knotted the game with a sacrifice fly. Jared Olson quickly broke the tie with a single to right that chased in Merkler.

Holding their first lead of the game at 4-3, the Blue Hens put the game away in the seventh. The team loaded the bases early after Scott Shockley walked, Pat Dameron doubled, and Kyle Davis was intentionally issued a free pass. Carlos Alonso then tacked on the first run of the inning after also working a walk.

With the bases still loaded, Cuneo quickly freed them up with a slam to right field that gave the team a 9-3 lead. Two batters later, Merkler also left the yard with a solo shot to centerfield.

Ryan Reed followed with a double before Shockley brought him in with his own two-base hit. After Dameron worked a two-out walk, Davis and Alonso added back-to-back RBI singles to cap the inning and put Delaware up by double-digits, 13-3.

As the offense did its daily damage, the Blue Hen pitching staff had a strong day as well. After the Quakers scored three early runs, Will Blackman and Corey Crispell combined to shut out the Quakers for five of their six innings on the mound. Crispell also struck out six during his three innings of work.

Penn eventually brought two across in the ninth to pull back within eight, but Alex Dalsey settled in and closed out the game.

Along with Merkler and Cuneo, three other Blue Hens also had at least two hits in the game. Dameron went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Davis and Olson added two hits as well.

Alonso extended his team-best hitting streak to 15 games with his single in the seventh. The junior third baseman has also reached base safely in all 24 contests this season.

Crispell (5-1) earned the win for Delaware after his strong relief appearance, while Chris McNulty (0-1) took the loss for Penn.

Delaware will return to action tomorrow when the team hosts intrastate rival Delaware State at 3 p.m.