FAIRFAX, Va. - The Delaware baseball team handed Mason its
second conference series sweep of the season as it defeated the Patriots, 3-1,
on senior day at Spuhler Field.
Delaware swept the season series between the two squads for
the second-consecutive season while improving to 24-22 overall and 14-10 in the
CAA. The Patriots dropped to 32-20 overall and 15-12 in the conference,
suffering its second conference sweep of the year.
The Blue Hens never trailed in the series, denting the
scoreboard first for the third time in as many games. Second baseman DJ Long
led off the third inning with a single and came home on an RBI double to deep
left field by outfielder Nick Ferdinand. Mason starter A.J. Johnson got his
next batter to fly out on a hit that allowed Ferdinand to advance to third,
where he scored on an RBI groundout from outfielder Tyler Powell to give the
Blue Hens a 2-0 lead.
Responding in the home half of the third, junior outfielder
Nick Allen hit a one out double down the left field line, advanced to third on
a flyout by senior infielder Brig Tison and scored the lone Mason run of the
game on an RBI single by senior outfielder Dan Schafferman to cut the UD
advantage in half, 2-1.
However, Delaware drove in another run in the top of the
fourth on two costly Patriot errors to go back up by two, 3-1. Outfielder Joe
Giacchino led off the inning by reaching on an error, advanced to second on a
sacrifice bunt and came home to score on the second Mason error in the inning.
Mason had five hits through the first three innings, but
recorded just three more hits the rest of the way in the defeat. Shutting down
the Patriot offense was UD starter Chad Kuhl (3-4), who threw eight innings,
scattering seven hits while allowing just one earned run and striking out
eight. Devon Pearson came on in relief in the ninth, giving up one hit and
striking out two for his sixth save of the season.
Allen led mason with a 2-for-5 showing at the plate, while
Schafferman recorded the lone RBI with a 1-for-3 performance.
Johnson (6-5) had a strong showing in the loss,
throwing seven innings and scattering eight hits with two strikeouts while
giving up three runs (two earned). Closer Chris O'Grady threw the final two
innings for Mason, giving up one hit and striking out two.
Ferdinand paced the UD offense, going 2-for-4 with an RBI
and one run scored.
The Patriots will take a week off for finals before returning
to action on May 17-19 in their final CAA series of the season at UNCW.
