Clinton, S.C. (Feb. 15, 2015) ---  The Delaware State University baseball team was three outs away from its first victory of the season, but Presbyterian scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 2-1 today.

The Blue Hose (4-0) scored the winning run on an infield single with two outs in the ninth to sweep the four-game season-opening series. The Hornets (0-4) led 1-0 heading into Presbyterian's last at bat.

The loss overshadowed a second straight solid effort by the young Hornet pitching staff.  After allowing 29 runs and 34 hits in the first two games, DSU pitchers gave up just five runs and 14 hits in the final two contests.   

In today's game, local product Travis Dill (fr.; Camden, Del./Caesar Rodney HS) pitched 5.1 shutout innings, allowing four hits, while striking one and walking one in his first career start for the Hornets.

Another area product, Garrett Coverdale (fr.; Frederica, Del./Milford HS) relieved Dill and struck out two of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth.

Delaware State opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning.

Charles Dailey singled to lead off the game, and advanced to second when David Kimbrough followed with an infield single.

Dailey moved to third on a fielder's choice ground out by Cameron Onderko, and scored when Chris Gonzalez followed with a single to left field. The Hornets had runners on second and first with one out, but failed to add any more runs in the inning.

DSU put its first two batters on base in the fourth, but couldn't add to its 1-0 lead. The Hornets also left two runners on base in the fifth.

Presbyterian reliever Ethan Wortkoetter (1-0), the fourth hurler of the day for the Blue Hose, picked up  the win after striking out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth inning.

Reliever Lane DeLeon (0-1) took the loss for the Hornets.   

Defensively, Onderko had nine assists without an error at shorstop in the contest for the Hornets.

Gonzalez was six-for-14 at the plate (.429), while Dailey has six hits in 15 at bats (.400) in the four-game series for the Hornets.

Delaware State returns to action on Fri. (Feb. 20) against Iona in the Duke University Tournament. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Durham, N.C.