Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - The University of Delaware baseball team clubbed four home runs and ripped 17 hits on the way to a 9-4 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson at Bob Hannah Stadium on a warm Friday afternoon.

Carlos Alonso (top right) and Josh Dean (bottom right) both roped three hits, including a home run, while Pat Dameron and Aaron Mascoe also went deep to lead Delaware (6-7). With his performance, Alonso extended his career-long hitting streak to 26 games, which stands as the longest active streak in the nation.

After Fairleigh Dickinson (1-8) jumped out early with a pair of runs in the top of the first, Alonso quickly responded in the bottom half. The senior standout greeted FDU starter Mike Strachman with a titanic blast to left center that cut the Delaware deficit in half at 2-1.

One inning later, the Hens knotted the game after capitalizing on a Knight miscue. With one out, Hank Yates ripped a shot to third that was mishandled and allowed the Delaware freshman to sprint his way to second base. Two batters later, fellow first-year standout D.J. Long made the Knights pay by lacing an RBI single to center.

With a tie game, Dameron snapped the deadlock after crushing a solo shot that just missed tattooing the flagpole in centerfield. Soon after providing an offensive highlight, Dameron came through with the defensive play of the game. With one runner on in the top of the fourth, FDU’s Joe Martino lofted a fly to left. As the ball tailed towards the foul line, Dameron chased it down, dove forward, and just snagged it in fair territory to rob Martino of an extra-base hit.

Leading 3-2, the Hens continued to build a picket fence on the scoreboard with another single run in the fourth. Long led off the inning with a single, advanced to third on a base hit by Dave Anderson, and came home on a deep sacrifice fly by Ryan Cuneo.

Trailing by two, Fairleigh Dickinson rallied in the top of the fifth. Following a single by Ben Mersky and a Blue Hen error, Brian Dillon chased home the first run of the frame with an RBI ground out before a wild pitch brought in Matt Holsman to tie the game at four.

Sensing newfound life in their opponent, the Hens stormed back. Dean crushed his team-leading fifth home run of the season on a solo blast to right. Later, Yates drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a throwing error, and scored when Mascoe lined a single to left.

After a spotless sixth and a scoreless top of the seventh, Delaware put the game away in the bottom half of the frame. Dean started the rally with a one-out double to center. After he swiped third base, Yates drove him in with an RBI single to left. Following a pitching change, Mascoe capped the score with a two-run blast to left that gave the squad a 9-4 lead.

With a comfortable advantage, Devon Pearson closed out the game in style. After taking over for Blue Hen starter Nick Young, Pearson escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and eventually retired six of the last seven hitters to earn his second save of the season.

Young (1-2) picked up the victory after scattering seven hits and two earned runs over six innings of work. Mike Strachman (0-2) took the loss after allowing four earned runs in five innings on the mound.

The two teams will be back in action tomorrow for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.