Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - Behind an incredible complete game effort by Brian Rorick, the University of Delaware baseball team posted a 6-1 victory over Virginia Commonwealth on Thursday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.

Rorick (at right) tossed his third consecutive complete game while posting a career-high 13 strikeouts against VCU (20-24, 8-14 CAA). The junior right-hander also scattered four hits and allowed only one unearned run on the way to his fourth win of the season.

Delaware (25-18, 9-10) looked strong from the start as the offense grabbed an early lead and was backed by great pitching from the outset.

In the opening frame, Rorick struck out the side in the top of the inning before his offense staked him a run in the bottom half. Ryan Cuneo started the rally with a one-out single to right before advancing to third on a double by Bill Merkler. He came around after Ryan Reed lifted a deep fly ball to centerfield.

The team continued to look sharp in the second as Rorick sent two more down on strikes and quickly picked off the only runner who reached base.

Following a two-out, five-run rally on Tuesday against Maryland, the offense nearly duplicated the feat against the Rams. After the first two Hens went down in the second, Pat Dameron kicked off a nice four-run surge with a single to center before advancing to third on a two-base error.

Kyle Davis followed with a run-scoring single before Carlos Alonso also added a base hit to center. Cuneo then capped the rally with a crushing blow as the junior first baseman launched a three-run shot onto the street behind the rightfield fence.

With a solid 5-0 lead in hand, Rorick continued to cruise. In the third, he struck out two more Rams before hitting a minor skid in the fourth. After Doug Otto was hit by a pitch and Joe Van Meter poked a single to center, a Blue Hen error led to VCU’s first run of the game.

Despite the setback, Rorick quickly regrouped and struck out the side in the fifth before facing the minimum in the sixth and seventh.

As the Blue Hens’ ace remained solid on the mound, the Delaware lineup added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs in the inning, Scott Shockley slammed a solo shot well over the batter’s eye in dead centerfield to give the team a 6-1 advantage.

One inning later, Rorick quickly finished off the Rams. Following a lead-off walk in the ninth, Justin Wright reached on a fielder’s choice before the Blue Hens flipped a game-ending double play.

Cuneo finished the game with a pair of hits and three RBI, while Bill Merkler and Kyle Davis also had two hits apiece. Alonso recorded a hit and worked a walk as well, marking the 43rd straight game that Delaware’s star lead-off hitter has reached base safely.

Seth Cutler-Voltz (3-2) took the loss despite striking out nine over eight innings of work. Joe Van Meter led the Ram offense, posted two of the team’s four hits.

The two teams will be back in action tomorrow for a 3 p.m. showdown.