Stoltzfus’ Two Run Single in the Eighth Gives Delaware Baseball an 11-9 Victory over Princeton
May 3, 2011
Photos courtesy of Mark Campbell _lg.jpg)
• Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. - - Preparing for an extremely pivotal weekend series starting on Friday, the bats came alive for the University of Delaware baseball team against Princeton, as they slugged 18 hits in picking up an 11-9 nonconference victory in its only midweek game of the week at Bob Hannah Stadium on Tuesday.
Delaware (26-19 overall) has been riding the hot bat of freshman walk-on EJ Stoltzfus (above right) lately and he came through once again, this time in the eighth with the game-winning, two run RBI single with the bases loaded and one out. His single over the head of the shortstop scored DJ Long and Pat Dameron to give the Blue Hens the 10-9 advantage.
Princeton (21-21 overall) scored all nine runs in two innings, but was shut down by the final four pitchers of the afternoon for the Blue Hens. Brandon Hinkle, Nick Stampone, Jeff Murray and Steve Richter finished out the final four innings of work, not allowing a run while only giving up two hits. The combination of pitchers struck out five Tiger batters and didn’t issue a walk.
“It’s good when you get 18 hits and you win,” head coach Jim Sherman said. “It was looking like we were going to out hit them and not win. The big inning really was the 8th inning. We get the bases load, and Ferdinand did strike out, but the young kid that has been playing phenomenal for us, Stoltzfus, picked him up. That’s how you win, and that’s how we have been winning. But obviously we don’t win this game no matter how good we are going offensively if it is not for the final four bullpen guys. Those four guys did an outstanding job.”
Ten of the team’s 18 hits came from the first three batters in the lineup, as Long and Dameron each collected three hits, and Steve Ulaky (below right) went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, three RBI’s and three runs scored. Dameron and Nick Ferdinand also homered for the Blue Hens.
The Tigers scored six unearned runs in the top of the second to take a commanding early lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Matt Bowman’s chopper to short could not be handled by Dave Anderson, allowing a run to come home and the inning to continue. John Mishu unloaded the bases with a triple in the gap. Two more runs came around to score in the inning, all unearned off Blue Hen starter Eric Buckland.
But the Blue Hens came right back in the next half inning scoring five runs of their own to tie the game. The inning was highlighted by a two run double off the bat of Long, and Ulaky’s first home run of the contest, a two run shot to right center.
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Ulaky’s second home run was a solo blast to lead off the fourth inning and gave the home team a brief 7-6 lead. It was Ulaky’s team leading 13th on the season.
After Princeton scored three in the fifth to retake the lead, Ferdinand gained one of the runs back with his eighth home run on the season in the sixth.
But with the team still trailing in the eighth, it was Stoltzfus who gave the team the lead for good, with his second single of the afternoon.
“At the end of the fall, we recognized a kid who could center the baseball,” Sherman said of his walk-on freshman who has come to play third base. “We have always been pretty offensive (Delaware) and there was no reason not to keep a kid like him, no reason at all. He got more opportunities to play (with Logan Gallagher’s injury) and he kept hitting. We are really excited, he has done a great job for us.”
The Blue Hens return to action on Friday, as they host Old Dominion in their final home Colonial Athletic Association series. Game one will begin on Friday at 3 p.m.
AGATE:
Princeton… 0 6 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 – 9 12 0
Delaware… 1 5 0 1 0 1 0 3 X – 11 18 0
E – Anderson (9). DP – Delaware 2. LOB – Princeton 8; Delaware 9. 2B – Long 2 (18); Mascoe (9). 3B – Bowman (2); Mishu (5). HR – Connor (2); Dameron (4); Ulaky 2 (13); Ferdinand (8). HBP – Flink; Albert. SH – Whitener (3); Anderson (8). SB – Mulroy (13).
Win – Jeff Murray (1-1). Loss – Matt Bowman (2-7). Save – Steve Richter (9).
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