University of Delaware Baseball Handcuffed by Northeastern, 6-2, in CAA Series Opener
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May 18, 2012
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware bats were handcuffed in a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Northeastern to open the final Colonial Athletic Association’s baseball weekend series of the season Friday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Northeastern (22-27, 12-16 CAA) tallied 10 hits in the victory with John Puttress leading the Huskies with a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI. Friday’s victory kept Northeastern in the CAA Tournament hunt with two games left in the regular season.
The Blue Hens (26-24, 16-12 CAA) have already clinched a berth in the CAA Tournament, which will be held May 23-26 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.
Huskies starter Andrew Leenhouts (7-3) held the Blue Hens in check for the complete-game victory. The senior southpaw surrendered two earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out eight. Leenhouts allowed only five Blue Hens base runners to reach second base in the victory.
Friday’s defeat marked just the second loss for Delaware in eight games this month. Ryan Hartley, Ty Warrington (at right) and Jimmy Yezzo accounted for six of the Blue Hens' nine hits with two base knocks apiece.
In the top of the third inning, a Puttress RBI single in addition to a bases-loaded wild pitch by Delaware starter Corey Crispell and a fielding error by right fielder Nick Ferdinand gave the Huskies an initial 3-0 lead.
Delaware narrowed the gap to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning after Ferdinand laced a single through the right side and reached second on a wild pitch. Tyler Powell connected with a RBI single to left field that knocked in Ferdinand.
NU reclaimed a three-run advantage in the top of the fourth inning when Tucker Roeder hammered a one-out double to left field. Puttress collected a two-out RBI single through the left side that scored Roeder and handed the Huskies a 4-1 lead.
Northeastern’s Rob Fonseca hit his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the left field wall in the top of the fifth inning that gave the Huskies a five-run edge, 6-1.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Warrington lined a single through the right side and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Yezzo’s RBI single up the middle drove in Warrington for the game’s final run.
Crispell (6-4) suffered the loss for the Blue Hens as the right-hander yielded six runs (five earned) on nine hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings on the mound.
The Blue Hens and the Huskies will continue the series Saturday with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium. Delaware will hand the ball to right-hander Eric Young (5-4, 5.07 ERA) while the Huskies counter with left-hander Kevin Ferguson (6-3, 3.20 ERA).
Prior to Saturday’s contest, there will be a ceremony honoring the University of Delaware’s baseball senior class of Dave Angebranndt, Crispell, Ian Hoff, Devon Pearson, Nick Stampone, and Young.
