Durham, N.C. (Feb. 21, 2015) --- The Delaware State University baseball team had plenty of scoring opportunities but couldn't capitalize on enough of them in a 9-4 loss to the host Duke Blue Devils in the Duke Baseball Classic this evening.

The Hornets outhit Duke 11-9, but left 10 runners on base and committed two errors that resulted in three unearned runs.

Jalen Phillips drove in two runs, and Justin Bellinger had three hits and a RBI to lead the Devils. Chris Gonzalez had three singles in four at bats to raise his season average to .500 (nine-for-18) for the Hornets.  

Duke (3-1) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning, two in the second and another in the third to open up a 4-0 lead.

The Hornets (0-5) got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth inning.

David Kimbrough reached base on an infield single to start the inning. Cameron Onderko followed with a double to left center, scoring Kimbrough to cut Duke's lead to 4-1.

The Devils scored a run without benefit of a hit in the fifth to stretch their lead to 5-1. Andy Perez reached base on a one-out error by the Hornets.  He stole second and third before scoring on a groundout.

Duke scored three runs on two hits in the seventh inning to open up an 8-1 lead.   

The Hornets answered with three runs in the eighth to give them hope. Onderko walked to lead off the inning and Gonzalez  followed with a single to put runners at second and first.  There was one down when Justin Allen reached on a fielder's choice to advance Onderko to third, but Gonzalez was erased at second. The next batter, Tyler Ramsey, singled to score Onderko and cut Duke's lead to 8-2. Jaylen Zielecki followed with a triple to right field, scoring two to pull the Hornets to within four.

The Blue Devils scored a run in the last of the eighth to close out the scoring.

Zielecki, Onderko and Kimbrough had two hits each for DSU.

Jack Labosky (1-0), the second of six Duke pitchers, was credited with the win. Dan Galati (0-2) was tagged with the loss in his second start of the season for the Hornets.

DSU will play two games in the Duke Baseball Classic on Sunday. The Hornets will face Iona at 10 a.m.; and close out the tourney against Hartford at 2 p.m.