Blue Hens and Patriots Knotted at 7-7 after 10 Innings, Game Suspended Until Tomorrow Due to Darkness
March 11, 2011
Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
_lg.jpg)
• Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. - - Darkness beat all on Friday afternoon as the University of Delaware baseball team is knotted with George Mason at 7-7 after the 10th inning, and the umpires suspended the game until Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will finish and the regularly scheduled nine-inning game that was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. will follow.
The Blue Hens took the lead in the fourth on a Steve Ulaky (at right) towering two run homerun to right field, but couldn’t hold the lead as the Patriots came back to tie it at 7-7 in the eight. The two teams played a back-and-forth game through the first half of the game, with the bulk of the scoring happening through the first four innings.
The outfield took the brunt of the rains that fell in the area on Thursday and this morning, and it became evident that anything hit to right field would be tricky right away. The Patriots scored in the top of the first to take their first lead of the ballgame on a pair of splash base hits, as water flew once the ball touched down. Brig Tison hit a single into right center to start things off. With the wind also blowing out to right, Dan Schafferman lofted a fly ball to right, but Alex Mottle was unable to track it down for the first double to right of the day. Tison eventually came around to score on an RBI ground out by Shane Davis.
The Blue Hens tied the score in the home half of the second as Aaron Mascoe doubled to lead of the inning. Two batters later, Hank Yates traded places with him, pulling on down the left field line.
Both teams traded two runs in the third to keep the game knotted at 3-3. Ulaky plated his first RBO of the day with a single through the right side, easily scoring DJ Long from second with out a throw. Mascoe repeated the same action, singling through the right side, this time scoring Pat Dameron from second without a throw to the plate.
Looking for a zero, starter Eric Young was unable to keep George Mason down, as the visitors responded with another two spot in the fourth. Two doubles into right, as Mottle struggled to keep his footing in the soaking wet field, caused the most damage in the inning.
But Delaware took the lead for the first time in the fourth, capped off by Ulaky’s two-run homerun. Two errors in the inning by the Patriots kept the Blue Hens alive on the base paths, as the first run came on a botched bunt defense. Dave Anderson laid down a bunt to advance two runners, but second baseman Nick Allen was unable to gather the ball at first, letting the ball get away just far enough to let Mottle score. Dameron towered one to center, allowing Gallagher to score and complete the sacrifice fly. Ulaky stepped in next, and took a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for the team’s first home run of the season.
But the bullpen was unable to secure the victory in the eighth as the Patriots loaded the bases with nobody out. Corey Crispell got Tison looking for the first out, and got another out as Schafferman grounded one to first, but a run came home on the play. Now with two outs, Crispell intentionally walked Davis to get to Zach Helgeson. After working the count full, Crispell allowed the tying run to come in on ball four.
Steve Richter got out of a jam in the tenth to keep it tied and for the suspension. Tison doubled to right with one out, and an intentional walk to Schafferman put two runners on. Davis chopped one up the first base line, as Richter came over to scoop and tag Davis for the second out. He then got Helgeson to swing and miss on strike three, ending the threat.
The Blue Hens were unable to get anything going in the eighth, ninth or tenth, as both teams will be looking for the their first Colonial Athletic Association win tomorrow. The game will resume with the start of the 11th inning.
Starting game two of the series, which will start after a brief break, will be a pair of left handed pitchers on each side. Devon Pearson gets the nod for the Blue Hens, while Chris O’Grady will be on the hill for the Patriots.
AGATE:
George Mason….. 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 – 7 10 2
Delaware…….…. 0 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 7 10 2
Game suspended after 10 due to darkness, will resume at 1 p.m. on Saturday
Back To Baseball Home Baseball Story Archive
