Top Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell / Bottom Photo Courtesy of Chris Mlynarczyk

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -Behind a pair of big rallies in the third and ninth, UNC Wilmington picked up its second straight victory over the University of Delaware baseball team with a 10-3 win on Saturday afternoon during a Colonial Athletic Association battle at Bob Hannah Stadium.

With the victory, UNCW improved to 18-13 on the season, including 5-3 in conference action. Delaware fell to 14-13 with a 1-4 mark in the CAA.

Despite the Seahawks' strong offensive attack that has now posted 22 runs in the first two games of the series, reliever Devon Pearson (top right) had an excellent outing for the Hens. The sophomore southpaw struck out two and held UNCW hitless during four spotless frames out of the bullpen.

D.J. Long also had another strong game for Delaware as the freshman second baseman extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a 2-for-4 performance. He also drove in two of the team’s three runs.

Ryan Cuneo (bottom right), Hank Yates, and Todd Menchaca all posted two hits for the Hens as well, while Carlos Alonso also roped a hit. He has now posted at least one hit in 39 of the team’s last 40 games.

After escaping a jam in the first with a pair of strikeouts, Blue Hen starter Michael Londino was not as fortunate in the third as UNCW opened the scoring with a five-spot. Rhett Miller was hit by a pitch and Alex Hill quickly parked a two-run blast. Later, following back-to-back singles by Robbie Monday and Dakota Piver, Hunter Ridge posted the Seahawks’ second big fly of the inning with a three-run homer to right.

Although the Hens put a pair of runners on base in two of the first three frames, they were held scoreless until finally breaking through with a nice two-out rally in the fourth. Menchaca kicked off the surge with a single up the middle before Aaron Mascoe worked a walk. Long came through next with an RBI single to right center that chased in Menchaca, while a Seahawk miscue allowed Mascoe to circle the bases.

Two innings later, the bottom of the order helped Delaware plate another run as Yates and Menchaca notched back-to-back hits before Long roped a run-scoring single to right that pulled UD with two at 5-3.

As the Hens chipped away at their deficit, Pearson looked excellent on the mound. He retired the side in order during his first two innings of work before picking off the only runner to reach base in the sixth. He wrapped up his season-best outing with another scoreless frame in the seventh.

Unfortunately, UNC Wilmington found its groove again in the last two innings. In the eighth, the Seahawks posted one run after Michael Bass singled and sprinted his way home on an errant pickoff throw.

With some breathing room at 6-3, UNCW put the game away in the ninth. Piver knocked in two with a single to right before Ridge matched him with his own two-run single that capped the scoring at 10-3.

Ridge eventually finished the game with two hits and five RBI, while Piver had a pair of hits and scored two runs for the Seahawks.

Cameron Roth (5-1) earned the win for UNCW after allowing two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. Londino (4-3) took the loss for Delaware after scattering five runs in three innings.

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