Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - On a day destined for high-scoring with wind gusts reaching nearly 40 miles per hour, the University of Delaware baseball team put on an incredible offensive showcase as Ryan Cuneo and Pat Dameron both launched three home runs to help lead the Blue Hens to a 25-10 victory over Hofstra on Saturday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.

Cuneo (top right) and Dameron (bottom right) both tied the single-game school record for home runs by an individual, while Delaware (22-22, 3-14 CAA) went on to set a new team mark with a total of nine bombs during the contest. That broke the previous record of eight set on March 31, 2006 against Towson.

Cuneo also trumped one of the oldest individual records in program history after knocking in 10 runs against the Pride. His RBI total was one more than the previous record set by John Strode against Ursinus on April 15, 1961.

Along with the two Blue Hen bombers, Dave Anderson also roped three hits, while Josh Dean reached base safely in all six of his plate appearances. The senior centerfielder collected two hits, including a home run, while working three walks and getting hit by a pitch. He eventually scored a team-high six runs during the game.

The first inning served a sign of things to come when the two teams combined for nine runs, including five homers, to kick off the game. Hofstra (19-22-1, 9-8) opened the scoring with four runs in the top of the frame, including solo shots by Ethan Paquette and Kevin Flynn.

With the winds blowing as steadily as they were in the top half of the inning, Delaware fired right back in the bottom of the first. Following a walk and hit by pitch, Cuneo slammed a three-run blast to right center. Dameron came up next with a solo shot to left center before Hank Yates came through two batters later with an opposite field homer that gave Delaware a 5-4 lead.

Needing plenty of insurance with the ballpark playing small, Delaware fired another four runs on the board in the second, highlighted by back-to-back-to-back jacks. This time Dean got into the act with a solo blast to left. Cuneo and Dameron quickly followed with two more bombs to right before D.J. Long tacked on an RBI double to left which secured a 9-4 advantage.

As the offense continued to pound the Pride pitching, Matt Soren settled in on the mound for Delaware. Despite the weather conditions, he allowed just one run over the next four frames, including three spotless innings in the second, third, and fifth.

With Soren looking sharp on the hill, the Blue Hen offense never lost its swagger. In the third, Aaron Mascoe singled to right and Dean worked a walk before Cuneo came up again. For the third time in as many innings, the senior first baseman left the yard after crushing a tremendous three-run blast into the woods behind rightfield to give Delaware a 12-4 lead.

Two innings later, after Hofstra pulled back within seven on a solo homer by Elliot Hagburg, Delaware collected two more runs in the fifth. Steve Ulaky lined an RBI double into the left centerfield gap before Yates followed with a run-scoring single to right.

Facing a nine-run deficit at 14-5, the Pride clawed back into the game. In the top of the sixth, Matt Prokopowicz worked a bases-loaded walk before Ethan Paquette cleared some more room on the base paths with a three-run double. Later, John Kenny added his own two-base hit that chased in Paquette and pulled Hofstra within four at 14-10.

Sensing newfound life in the opposition, the Hens wasted no time responding. Following a leadoff single by Anderson, Carlos Alonso worked a walk before Dean was issued an intentional free pass to load the bases. Cuneo quickly followed with a sharp single to right that plated a pair. Dameron came through next with another run-scoring hit before the squad capitalized on a horde of wild pitches that allowed three more runs to score.

With a double-digit advantage at 20-10, Delaware continued the onslaught. In the seventh, the Hens picked up RBI knocks from Dean and Cuneo before Dameron blasted his record-tying third home run to right center that plated two and gave the squad a 24-10 lead.

One inning later, Alonso joined the party when he lined a solo home run to right that capped the scoring.

As the team had early in the game, Delaware took advantage of some strong pitching at the end to close out the victory. With more than enough breathing room, reliever Matt Harden looked comfortable on the mound. The side-wheeling right-hander retired the final eight batters of the game to close out the victory.

Soren (2-1) earned the win after allowing seven runs on nine hits in five innings of work, while Jared Rogers (4-7) took the loss after surrendering nine runs on eight hits in the first two frames.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.