Hofstra Uses Longball to Overpower Delaware 16-1 in CAA Series Opener
April 27, 2012
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• Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team was overpowered by Hofstra in a 16-1 setback behind a pair of Pride three-run home runs in the Colonial Athletic Association weekend series opener at Bob Hannah Stadium Friday afternoon.
Hofstra (23-17, 12-7 CAA) outhit Delaware by a 16-5 margin, which included two three-run home runs for the Pride. Five different Blue Hens batters accounted for the five hits UD tallied in the defeat.
Delaware (20-20, 11-8 CAA) got it’s lone run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Nick Ferdinand (at right) had an RBI single up the middle.
Making just his second start of the season, Joe Berg (4-0) held the Blue Hens scoreless over five innings on the mound as the left-hander scattered two hits and two walks and had six strikeouts en route to the Hofstra victory.
With two outs in the top of the third inning, the Pride unleashed a barrage of four-straight RBI hits that produced six runs and gave Hofstra an early 6-0 lead. In the fourth and fifth innings, Hofstra added runs in each frame to extend its lead to 8-0. Hofstra then upped its lead to 12-0 behind a three-run home run by Bryan Verbitsky in the top of the sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, Delaware's Cameron Travalini reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on DJ Long’s single. Ferdinand lined a single to center field that plated Travalini for UD’s only offense of the day.
Hofstra’s bats continued to click in the ninth inning as the Pride added four additional runs in the frame capped by a three-run home run off the right field scoreboard by Jared Hammer.
Eric Young (4-4) suffered the defeat for the Blue Hens after the right-handed starter was charged with a season-high 10 earned runs on 11 hits in just 5.1 innings. He also issued three walks and had two strikeouts.
Delaware continues its CAA weekend series with Hofstra Saturday with a 1 p.m. start at Hannah Stadium. The Blue Hens will turn to right-hander Corey Crispell (4-2, 4.40 ERA) while the Pride counters with right-hander John Tiedemann (4-3, 5.60 ERA).
