Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Fordham - Delaware Boxscore

Delaware - Virginia Boxscore

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The University of Delaware baseball team split its doubleheader on Friday by topping Fordham, 6-2, in the first game before falling to host Virginia, 11-4, in the nightcap at an overcast Davenport Field.

With the split, the Blue Hens move to 3-3 on the season, while the Cavaliers remain unbeaten at 7-0. Fordham fell to 1-4 after losing both games during the day.

Brian Rorick and Pat Dameron (at right) led Delaware to its victory over the Rams. Rorick worked six strong innings on the mound, while Dameron finished 3-for-4 at the plate including a two-run home run.

After Fordham scored two early runs to knot the game at two entering the bottom of the third, Delaware slowly pulled away as the offense came to life and Rorick settled in.

In the third, Chris Nehl led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a single by Jared Olson, and scored on an RBI hit by Bill Merkler. Although Fordham pieced together a rally and loaded the bases in the fourth, Rorick quickly worked out of the jam.

The junior right-hander continued to silence the Ram bats, striking out three in the next two innings to keep the Hens’ 3-2 lead in tact.

In the bottom of the sixth, Delaware added an insurance run after Dameron and Kyle Davis started the frame with back-to-back doubles. Two innings later, Dameron came back to put the game away as the sophomore second baseman slugged a two-run shot to right field that also plated Ryan Reed.

Matt Harden came out of the bullpen to seal the game, allowing just one base runner during the final three innings to pick up his first career save.

Rorick (1-0) earned the win for the Hens, while Max Krakowiak (0-1) was saddled with the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits in five innings of work.

Fordham opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but Delaware quickly answered with two in the bottom of the frame. Carlos Alonso opened the inning with a walk before coming home on a double by Ryan Cuneo. Two batters later, Olson chased in the Hens’ standout first baseman with an RBI groundout.

Following a single run by the Rams in the third, Delaware never looked back, scoring four unanswered runs to put the game away.

After a mid-afternoon break in action, the Blue Hens returned to the field to face Virginia. Although the momentum of their first win briefly carried over into the nightcap, the Hens could not hold on to an early 4-1 lead against the powerful ACC club.

Entering the bottom of the second trailing by two, the Cavaliers erupted for five runs coming on RBI singles by John Hicks, Jarrett Parker, Danny Hultzen, and Dan Grovatt.

Now trailing by a pair, the Blue Hens were unable to figure out reliever Tyler Wilson. The right-hander quieted the Delaware bats, holding the team scoreless during his 3.2 innings on the mound.

Eventually, Virginia struck again as the team added three more runs after Hicks smacked a two-run home run to left, while Hultzen worked a bases-loaded walk to put the Cavaliers up by five at 9-4.

After tacking on two more runs later on, Virginia kept the game out of reach as the team shut out the Hens over the final seven innings.

Alonso and Cuneo both finished the game with two hits apiece, while Parker led the Cavaliers with three hits, including a home run.

Just as the team did in the opener, Delaware scored quickly against the Cavaliers. In the first, Alonso led off with a double before Cuneo drove him in with a single to center. After Virginia tied it in the bottom of the frame, the Hens answered quickly in the second.

Reed ripped a single to left and moved to second after Dameron was hit by a pitch. Several UVA miscues helped the team score as a wild pitch eventually brought in Reed, while a passed ball chased in Dameron.

Cuneo came back to cap the inning after drilling a double down the right field line that brought in Kyle Davis and gave the team an early 4-1 advantage.

Despite the lead, Delaware could not hang on as the tough Virginia squad answered with nine runs in the final seven innings of play.

Wilson picked up the win after striking out six in his relief outing, while Corey Crispell took the loss.

The Blue Hens return to action on Sunday when the team once again plays a doubleheader against Fordham and Virginia. The first game against the Rams is slated to start at 11 a.m., while the contest against the host Cavaliers is scheduled for 3 p.m.