Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Rain forced the finals of the Liberty Bell Classic to be canceled with Delaware and Villanova tied at 6 in the top of the fifth at Citizens Bank Park.

The game will not be completed and is not official.

Chris Nehl (at right) led the way in the early going for the Hens as the senior designated hitter ripped two hits, including a three-run home run that opened the scoring in the first. Kyle Davis also legged out a triple in the fourth that resulted in two runs, while Pat Dameron belted an RBI double.

After not playing for over a week, the Blue Hens showed no signs of rust in the first inning as Ryan Cuneo ripped a single to right before Ryan Reed drew a two-out walk. Nehl quickly followed with a line-drive shot into the flowerbeds in leftfield to put Delaware on the board.

Later, after Jared Olson was hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive, Dameron smashed a double into deep centerfield to give Delaware a 4-0 lead.

Backed by the early outburst, Michael Londino looked strong on the mound for the Hens as the side-wheeling right-hander made his first start in over a year. One of the more dependable relievers for Delaware, he held Villanova hitless for the first three innings before running into a jam in the fourth.

The Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the inning before Londino sent David Koczirka down looking. Following a sacrifice fly by Wesley Borden that got Villanova on the board, Londino escaped the threat relatively unscathed after striking out Joe Cotter to end the inning.

Delaware had an immediate response in the bottom of the frame after Scott Shockley led off with a single to right. Kyle Davis followed with a clutch triple to deep centerfield that easily plated Shockley. On the play, the Hens’ speedy shortstop eventually circled the bases himself after an errant relay throw ended up in the stands.

Leading 6-1 entering the top of the fifth, Delaware could not stop Villanova’s late comeback bid as the team scored five runs in the inning to tie the game. After the Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs for the second straight inning, Joe Rosati poked a two-run single to right center.

A balk brought in the third run of the inning before a single by Koczirka, which was later mishandled by the Blue Hens, allowed Villanova to score two more and tie the game at six.

Unfortunately, heavy rains quickly forced an end to the game. The result and statistics are not official and do not count towards season totals.

Delaware was making its first appearance in the Liberty Bell Classic finals since capturing the title in 2002. It also marked the team's inaugural trip to Citizens Bank Park.