Gaspar belted his ninth homerun of the season in game one. (Photo Credit Crystal Ayn Hagberg).

DOVER, De. (May 3, 2024) – The Stonehill College baseball team split its Northeast Conference series-opening twinbill with Delaware State Friday afternoon. The Hornets won game one in walk-off fashion, 14-13, while the Skyhawks won game two by a final score of 7-2. 

GAME ONE: Delaware State 14 (15-22, 14-11 NEC), Stonehill 13 (15-23, 10-12 NEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Stonehill jumped out to an early four-run lead after the top half of the first inning when redshirt junior Jack Thorbahn laced a run-scoring single into the right-centerfield gap. Senior catcher Blaine Lidsky immediately followed Thorbahn, belting a three-run opposite-field homerun over the rightfield fence to increase the Skyhawks' early lead to 4-0 over Delaware State.

Despite Stonehill's strong start, Delaware State fought back with a pair of runs in the first inning and a two-run single by Evan Bouldin in the second, leveling the game at four aside.

In the top of the fourth, after an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play in the bottom of the third, the Skyhawks would regain their early offensive momentum. A bouncing groundball off the bat of senior Trey Ciulla-Hall made its way past an outstretched glove of the Hornets third baseman and down the leftfield line to score a pair and regain Stonehill's lead at 6-4. Just two batters later, Lidsky would continue his strong start at the plate, rocketing an RBI double into the right-centerfield gap to score Ciulla-Hall and increase the advantage to 7-4 in favor of the Skyhawks.

Stonehill continued to pour on the runs in the fifth, plating four runs and taking an 11-4 lead on the board. Senior Jack Marshall led off the frame with a single into left field and was later driven home after an RBI single off the bat of redshirt sophomore Sam Parks. Ciulla-Hall stepped into the box two batters later and sent a two-run triple into the right-centerfield gap before Thorbahn would cap off the Skyhawks' offensive onslaught of the fifth with an RBI single to second base.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, a one-out double by senior Evan Harris kicked off a four-run inning that would cut the deficit to 11-9. Following Harris' double, five walks, two hit-by-pitches, and a wild pitch allowed four runs to cross the plate for the Hornets. Junior Taylor Gaspar would immediately respond to Delaware States' four run frame, belting his ninth homerun of the season in the eighth and giving Stonehill back a comfortable four-run lead at 13-9.

However, the Hornets staged a comeback in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, scoring five runs, culminating in a bases-loaded walk-off single by senior Krew Bouldin.

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Stonehill's 13 runs marked the 12th time the Skyhawks have reached double digits in runs scored this season.
• Thorbahn finished game one tied for the team-high with three hits.
• Ciulla-Hall finished a homerun shy of the cycle in game one after going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, three runs scored, and four RBI.
• Gaspar launched his ninth homerun in game one, while Lidsky also belted his third of the season.
• Redshirt sophomore Peter Haas tallied five strikeouts over 5.2 innings in the start for the Skyhawks.
• Evan Bouldin paved the way for the Hornets, going 5-for-6 with a double, a homerun and four RBI.
• Senior Kobe Head picked up the win for Delaware State in game one after silencing the Stonehill bats in the top of the ninth inning.

GAME TWO: Stonehill 7 (16-23, 11-12 NEC), Delaware State 2 (15-23, 14-12 NEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Following a scoreless opening frame on either side, the Skyhawks opened the scoring in game two in the top of the second inning. Back-to-back walks to Marshall, and junior Dylan Zemotel led off the inning before freshman Ryan LeClair drove home the game's opening run with an RBI infield single to third. After Parks was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Ciulla-Hall stepped up to the dish and lifted a sacrifice fly out to left, scoring Zemotel and giving the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead.

After back-to-back scoreless third and fourth innings on either side, Ciulla-Hall would increase the Skyhawks lead to three with one swing of the bat to start the fifth inning. The senior first baseman belted the first pitch he saw over the centerfield fence, giving the Skyhawks a 3-0 lead midway through game two. Senior Kodai Yaoita got the Hornets on the board in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI single into right field, scoring senior Wilfredo Mendez and cutting the gap to two heading into the sixth.

Ciulla-Hall continued his stellar day at the plate in the top of the seventh with his second triple of the afternoon. After Thorbahn worked a full-count walk, a wild pitch thrown to Lidsky at the dish allowed Ciulla-Hall to race home and score the Skyhawks' fourth run of the contest. Delaware State, however, responded with a run in the bottom of the eighth to close the gap to two once again.

Despite Delaware State cutting the deficit to two in the eighth, Stonehill would retaliate with three runs in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach. A lead-off single by Gaspar and a pair of free passes to Thorbahn and Kiely would load the bases with Marshall stepping up to bat. The senior shortstop out of Rocky Hill, Conn., battled at the plate and worked the count full before rifling a bases-clearing double out to the left field fence, scoring three and sending the Skyhawks into the bottom of the ninth with a five-run lead. Freshman Braydon Gray sealed the 7-2 victory and doubleheader split for Stonehill in game two after stranding a runner on first in the bottom half of the final frame. 

Marshall capped off the scoring in game two with a three-run double in the top of the ninth inning. (Photo Credit Crystal Ayn Hagberg).

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Gaspar and Ciulla-Hall extended their on-base streaks to 22 and 25 games, respectively. 
• Marshall and Ciulla-Hall combined for three extra-base hits and five RBI in game two.
• Parks stole his team-leading 12th and 13th bases of the season, while Ciulla-Hall and Thorbahn each swiped a base in game two.
• Junior Ryan Douglas (4-5) picked up his fourth win of the season after striking out six and allowing one run over 7.0 innings of work.
• Senior Jancarlos Colon highlighted the Hornets in game two, finishing with a game-high four hits.
• Sophomore Joey Current and Yaoita drove home the lone runs for Delaware State.
• Freshman Ricardo Gonzalez and freshman Michael Lane combined to strike out 14 batters over 7.0 innings on the mound for the Hornets.  

UP NEXT

Stonehill (16-23, 11-12 NEC) rounds out its three-game set against Delaware State on Saturday. First pitch from Dover, De., between the Skyhawks and Hornets is set for 1 p.m.

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