Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - Hofstra rallied from an early five-run deficit to overcome the hard-hitting University of Delaware baseball team on the way to a wild 14-13 victory during a Colonial Athletic Association showdown at Bob Hannah Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Steve Ulaky roped four hits and knocked in three for the Hens, while Pat Dameron (at right) and D.J. Long each tallied three hits apiece. Carlos Alonso also posted three RBI, while Dave Anderson collected two hits and a pair of RBI.

After Delaware (21-22, 3-13 CAA) stormed out to a 10-5 lead in the fourth inning following a slew of offensive outbursts in the early going, Hofstra (19-21-1, 9-7) showed no signs of letting up. Staring at a lofty five-run deficit, the Pride came charging back.

In the top of the fifth, Hofstra tossed three runs on the board. An RBI single by Mike Walraven kicked off the scoring before a two-run shot by Scott A’Hara pulled the squad within two at 10-8.

More than capable of holding their own in a slugfest, the Hens continued their offensive surge. In the bottom of the inning, the hosts tacked two more runs on the board when Dean crushed a monster solo home run before Ulaky chipped in with an RBI single that gave UD a 12-8 advantage.

Still facing at a large deficit, the Pride fired another three-spot on the board. Elliot Hagburg smacked a solo home run to lead off the fifth before Ethan Paquette took advantage of a dropped foul ball that kept his at bat alive. With new life, the Hofstra first baseman clocked a two-run home run that pulled the squad within one at 12-11.

Although Delaware answered with a deep blast by Menchaca that gave the squad a little breathing room, the Pride comeback could not be stopped. Following a 1-2-3 seventh, Hofstra completed its resurgence with another three-run rally in the eighth.

During the inning, the visitors loaded the bases with only one out. Following a pitching change, Paquette punched a two-run double down the leftfield line to even the score at 13. Two batters later, Kevin Flynn knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center that gave the squad a 14-13 lead.

With their backs against a wall, the Hens could simply not find their groove again. After the squad went down in order in the eighth, Delaware picked up a hit and walk in the ninth, but a double play and a strikeout sealed the come-from-behind victory for Hofstra.

Andrew Barbarino (1-1) picked up his first win of the season after tossing a scoreless frame of relief, while Matt Watkins earned his fourth save after punching out the only batter he faced. Brian Rorick (2-2) took the loss for Delaware despite surrendering only one run in 1.2 innings on the mound.

Early on in the game, the contest was a back-and-forth affair. In the first, the Hens made Hofstra pay for a pair of two-out walks when Ulaky launched a two-run double to center that chased in Cuneo and Dameron. Despite the early damage, the Pride fired right back with a three-spot in the second after Matt Prokopowicz cleared the bases with a three-run double to center.

The Blue Hens responded immediately in the bottom of the second when Long led off with a double before Dave Anderson drove him in with a single to left center that knotted the game at three.

One inning later, Delaware started to pull away. The squad loaded the bases with two outs after Damron and Long both singled before Anderson was hit by a pitch. With no room on the base paths, Todd Menchaca drew an RBI walk. One batter later, Alonso opened space on the bases with a three-run double to center that gave UD a 7-3 lead.

A two-run homer by Hagburg in the fourth helped Hofstra pull back within two, but Delaware immediately pieced together a response. In the bottom of the inning, Dameron clubbed a one-out solo blast to right before Long and Anderson each collected an RBI hit to give the squad some cushion at 10-5.

Unfortunately, the five-run lead was Delaware’s largest of the game as Hofstra stormed back to score nine of the final 13 runs to earn the victory.

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