MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph’s baseball team scored in each of its final five innings at bat and withstood a late rally to top Delaware, 10-9, at Smithson Field on Tuesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Neither team broke through until the fourth, when the Hawks hung a four-spot on the board. Ryan Cesarini led off with a double and moved to third on a single by Ryan Weingartner. Owen Petrich followed with a single to score Cesarini and give the Hawks the lead.
• Justin Igoe then singled to load the bases, and two batters later, a Brandon Drapeau double scored two to make it a 3-0 game. Jacob Reed drove in the final run of the inning with a groundout.
• Delaware (20-19) got one back on a home run by Brett Lesher in the fifth, but the Hawks responded with two in the bottom of the frame. Weingartner hit a two-out single, stole second, and scored on a single by Petrich before Igoe brought Petrich home with a double to make it 6-1.
• Weingartner then drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth before Lesher added an RBI double in the seventh to cut the Hawk lead to 7-2.
• Saint Joseph’s (17-19) extended the lead eleven again at the bottom of the seventh after a solo home run to left by Ryan Picollo and a bases-loaded walk by Cesarini.
• The Blue Hens put two on the board in the eighth on a single by Josearmando Diaz, but Picollo added his second home run of the day, this one to right center, to make it a 10-4 game.
• That home run would prove important, as the Blue Hens got a two-run home run from Lesher and a three-run shot by Joey Loynd in the ninth, but ultimately did not complete the comeback.
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Luke Parise allowed one run on two hits while striking out three in an inning and a third for his first collegiate victory. Elias Conway got the start for UD, allowing four runs on five hits in three-plus innings to fall to 0-1.
• Colin Yablonski got the start for the Hawks and allowed one hit while striking out five in three shutout innings.
• Drapeau, Igoe, Petrich, Picollo, and Weingartner all had two hits on the day, with Petrich, Picollo, and Weingartner each scoring two runs and Drapeau, Petrich, and Picollo driving in two apiece.
• Picollo recorded his second two-homer game of the season; he also went deep twice on Opening Day against Canisius on February 16.
• Everyone in the starting lineup reached base for the Hawks on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
The Hawks open a seven-game road trip with a weekend series at UMass beginning on Friday.
