Baseball - BlueHens.com - Delaware Athletics

Towson Takes Both Ends of the Baseball Doubleheader, 3-0 and 4-2, to Take CAA Series from Delaware

April 17, 2011

File Photos courtesy of Mark Campbell

TOWSON, Md. - - The University of Delaware baseball team seemed to have used all its offense in Friday’s victory, as Towson’s pitching staff shut down the Blue Hens, 3-0 and 4-2, in the final two games of the Colonial Athletic Association series at John B. Schuerholz Park on Sunday.

After being washed out on Saturday Delaware (19-16, 11-7 CAA) needed to win one of the games on Sunday to claim the weekend series, but Towson (15-19-1, 9-9 CAA) used a seven inning complete game shutout from Charlie Cononie in game one and hung on after jumping out to an early lead in game two.

Cononie struck out five Blue Hens in game, going the distance to move to 5-2 on the season. The game was a seven-inning contest, as mandated by the CAA for Sunday conference doubleheaders. He only allowed two hits in the game that only lasted an hour and 28 minutes.

The Tigers only recorded six hits off Blue Hen starter Danny Gatto, but made all the damage they would need in the bottom of the first. Nick Natoli got the ball rolling for the Tigers, leading off the inning with a single to third base. Two batters later Chris Wychock doubled down the right field line to put both runners in scoring position. Andrew Parker followed Wychock with a home run to right field, providing all three runs for game one.

Gatto settled down following the home run, getting out of the inning and pitching into the sixth. He completed five innings, giving up the three runs on six hits. Michael O’Keeffe relieved Gatto after one batter in the sixth, and struck out two Tigers to get out of the inning unscathed.

Steve Ulaky (above right) went 3-for-4 in game two, including his ninth home run of the season, but the Blue Hens could not find the timely hitting, leaving six runners on base throughout the contest.

His home run in the third cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-2, but that is all the offense would muster for the second game, unable to scratch another run on the board. Dave Anderson started the third with a single into right field. Three batters and two outs later, Ulaky sent a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right to put the Blue Hens back into the ballgame.

Towson scored an insurance run in the fourth, padding its lead by two runs. A leadoff single from Brian Wyman and came around to score on a Natoli ground out to second to finish the scoring by both teams on the afternoon.

The Tigers got out to a quick lead once again in game two, scoring three runs in the first two innings to put momentum back in their corner.

Towson got on the board on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Wychock, and added a run in the first with a suicide squeeze bunt by Austin Harclerode, taking a 2-0 lead with the unearned run. Pat Fitzgerald singled home Wyman in the second, giving the Tigers their second 3-0 lead on the day.

Chad Kuhl started on the mound for the Blue Hens in game two, striking out six batters in six innings of work, but fell to 1-4 with the loss. He gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits. Jeff Murray (below right) came on and pitched the final two innings, only giving up two hits, while recording two strikeouts.

Michael Trionfo improved to 2-5 on the season, pitching five innings of four hit baseball. He gave up two runs on the Ulaky home run, and only struck out one Blue Hen. Zach Umberger came on and pitched the final four innings, only giving up three hits to earn his second save of the season.

Logan Gallagher was the only other Blue Hen to tally more than one hit in game two, ending 2-for-4 with a double. His double with one out in the ninth started a rally, but Umberger settled down and got the final two outs to close out the series.

After a six-game road trip, the Blue Hens return to Bob Hannah Stadium this week, as they take on Temple on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Blue Hens defeated the Owls, 15-12, in ten innings on March 29 this season in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic.

AGATE:

Game 1
Delaware… 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 2 0
Towson...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 X – 3 6 1

E – Harclerode (5). DP – Towson 1. LOB – Delaware 5; Towson 5. 2B – Wychock (14); Rice (6). HR – Parker (2). HBP – Ulaky. SH – Fitzgerald (4); Rice (3).

Win – Charlie Cononie (5-2). Loss – Danny Gatto (1-3). Save – None.

Game 2
Delaware… 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 2 7 1
Towson….. 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 X – 4 5 1

E – Gallagher (7); Wychock (6). DP – Delaware 1; Towson 2. LOB – Delaware 6, Towson 5. 2B – Ulaky (13); Gallagher (4). HR – Ulaky (9). HBP – Natoli; Parker; Wyman. SH – Fitzgerald (5); Harclerode (3). SF – Wychock (2).

Win – Michael Trionfo (2-5). Loss – Chad Kuhl (1-4). Save – Zach Umberger (2).

Back To Baseball Home Baseball Story Archive