Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Sat. Game No. 2 Boxscore

Sun. Game No. 1 Boxscore

Sun. Game No. 2 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -The University of Delaware baseball team dropped three straight decisions to Manhattan as the Blue Hens fell to the Jaspers, 17-12, in the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game before falling in both ends of the regularly-scheduled doubleheader, 10-8 and 18-8, on Sunday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.

Josh Dean (top right) led Delaware (3-7) after going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI during the suspended game before chipping in with three more hits in the doubleheader. Carlos Alonso (middle right) also went 5-for-8 during the twin bill to extend his hitting streak to 23 straight games. That roll is currently the sixth longest in program history.

Dave Anderson (bottom right) also went 6-for-9 during the doubleheader, while Steve Ulaky, Ryan Cuneo, and D.J. Long all had three hits apiece.

Riding a wave of momentum from their win in yesterday’s opener, UD got off to a quick start in Saturday’s nightcap. Alonso started the contest with a single before Long clubbed a double to left. Cuneo followed with an RBI groundout before Dameron punched a run-scoring single to center.

With two runs already on the board, the Hens continued their rally as Ulaky smashed a double down the right field line. Dean followed with a mammoth three-run bomb to right center that spotted Delaware a 5-0 lead.

Unfortunately, the advantage was short-lived as the Jaspers answered with a five-spot of their own in the third. The visitors loaded the bases with no outs before a double by Onorati and a Blue Hen error brought home three runs. Later, another miscue and an RBI single by Mike McCann knotted the game at five.

Later, Manhattan (4-3) broke the deadlock after Kevin Nieto notched an RBI double in the fourth and Anthony Armenio and Ramon Ortega each plated runs in the fifth.

Trailing 8-5, Delaware orchestrated a comeback. An RBI single by Ulaky opened the scoring in the fifth before the Hens loaded the bases with one out. Chris Branigan followed with an RBI fielder’s choice before a Jasper error allowed Ulaky to come around with the tying run.

Sadly, Manhattan quickly regained its momentum. The squad tacked a four-spot on the board in the seventh to grab a 12-8 lead. Although Delaware responded with two runs coming on RBI knocks by Anderson and Branigan in the bottom of the frame, the Jaspers fired back with another four-run rally to take a 16-10 advantage.

With shadows consuming the field as the sun went down, the umpires deemed it too dark to continue and suspended the game in the bottom of the eighth. The extra day did little to change the outcome as Manhattan plated an unearned run in the top of the ninth before RBI singles by Alonso and Aaron Mascoe capped the scoring at 17-12 in the bottom of the frame.

Mike Giordano (1-0) picked up the win for the Jaspers, while John Soldinger earned the three-inning save. Alex Dalsey (0-1) took the loss for Delaware after allowing three runs in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen.

In the first game of Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader, Delaware jumped out to another early lead. After Alonso extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a lead-off single, Long ripped a base hit to right before Cuneo notched an RBI fielder’s choice.

Two innings later, Manhattan responded. Kevin Nieto led off the frame with a solo shot before Anthony Armenio clubbed a two-run double to right. Later, Austin Sheffield capped the scoring with an RBI single that gave the team a 4-1 advantage.

After being summoned from the bullpen in the middle of the Jasper rally, reliever Kyle Thomas was responsible for the first out of the inning on an outstanding defensive play. Anthony Vega squared to bunt and popped the ball into foul territory. Thomas motored over to the line, dove headfirst, and snared the ball in his out-stretched glove. Later, he came back and struck out Will DeRuve before inducing an inning-ending pop out that allowed the Hens to escape without any more damage.

One inning later, the Jaspers started to put the game away. The squad tossed three more runs on the board, highlighted by a double-steal that saw Chad Salem swipe home, to secure a 7-1 lead.

With the game slipping away, Delaware tacked one on the board in the fifth on an RBI single by Corey Jefferson. Unimpressed, Manhattan posted three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run triple by Anthony Armenio, to stretch their advantage to 10-2.

Having no interest in going down quietly, the Hens rallied late to cut into their deficit. In the sixth, a two-run blast by Ulaky and a two-run double by Alonso pulled the squad within four. Then, Delaware orchestrated one last-ditch effort in the seventh after Cuneo led off the frame with a triple.

Following a sacrifice fly by Dameron that chased in Cuneo, Ulaky lined a double into the left centerfield gap before Dean smacked an RBI single up the middle. Unfortunately, that was as close as the team would get as Manhattan quickly turned a game-ending double play.

Tom Costigan (1-1) picked up the victory after going the final six innings of the contest for Manhattan. Eric Buckland (0-1) took the loss after scattering three hits and four runs in his two innings of work.

Despite the final score, the nightcap of Sunday’s marathon turned out to be the most closely-contested game of the series in the early going. For the first time all weekend, the Jaspers jumped out to an early lead after posting a four-spot in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Ramon Ortega.

Although they were staring at a large deficit from the outset, the Hens remained calm and slowly whittled away at Manhattan’s lead. In the second, Delaware got on the board when Dean was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a single, and scored on a Manhattan miscue.

One inning later, Dean continued to do damage. After Cuneo led off with a ringing double to left center, Dean laced a two-out triple just inside the right field line that pulled Delaware within two at 4-2.

As the Hens continued their comeback, starter Michael Londino settled in. After his rough patch in the first, he held the Jaspers scoreless over the next five frames.

With their pitcher looking sharp on the mound, the Delaware lineup continued to chip away. In the fifth, the squad pieced together a two-out rally that saw Ulaky line a single up the middle, advance to second on a base hit by Dean, and score when Anderson ripped a shot to right.

Back in the game, the Hens held their deficit at 4-3 until everything fell apart in the seventh. A two-run double by Kyle Murphy, a two-run single by Kevin Nieto, and a towering grand slam by Chad Salem that just caught the foul poll in left highlighted an 11-hit, 13-run inning for Manhattan that all but sealed the Jasper victory.

After Manhattan tacked another run on the board in the top of the eighth to extend their lead to 18-3, the Hens refused to hang their heads. In the bottom of the inning, Delaware scratched back with a five-run rally.

Anderson started the surge with a double to right before Branigan drew a walk. Mascoe chased them both home with his own two-base hit to left before he came around on a wild pitch. Later, Cuneo drilled an RBI double to right and Dameron beat out a run-scoring single to shortstop to pull the Hens within 10 at 18-8.

Despite refusing to give up, Delaware’s late rally was all for naught. Eventually, Tom Moran came in to close out the victory for the Jaspers.

Eric Luskis (1-1) picked up the win after scattering nine hits and two earned runs over six innings of work. Londino (1-1) took the loss for Delaware after allowing six earned in 6.1 innings on the mound.