(Dover, Del.) – Battling wet and chilly conditions, the Delaware State baseball team (6-20) were unable to hold on to an early game lead at home Wednesday against the Delaware Blue Hens (12-12), as the Hornets suffered a 12-7 defeat.

With this loss, the Hornets dropped their eighth in a row, while UD tallied its second straight win, after dropping its previous three.

Leading 4-3 after two innings of play, DSU saw its lead evaporate in the third by way of two errors, resulting in the Blue Hens scoring three runs on four hits.  The following frame, meanwhile, was a mirror image of the previous inning, as Delaware scored three runs on four hits and two Hornet errors to take a 9-4 lead.  However, the Hornets cut the deficit to four during the fourth, when catcher Sam Barber drove in outfielder Justin Allen from third with a sac-fly RBI.

In the sixth, mistakes continued to plagued Delaware State, as UD pushed its lead to six, beginning with Brock Niggebrugge connecting for a one-run RBI-single through the right side.  Designated hitter Greg Olenski, on the other hand, scored from third after Barber was unable to handle a Zach Cooney pitch in the dirt.

Next inning, same score, the Hornets pulled within four once again, this time with outfielder Ron Fairley and infielder Cameron Onderko coming around to score after a Tyler Powell mishap at first. Nevertheless, UD's leadoff man, Joe Giacchino, gave his squad some breathing room in the eighth with a one-run RBI-single through the right side.

At game's end, the Blue Hens finished with 12 hits, led by Powell's 3-for-4 effort, compared to DSU's 11.  Onderko led the way for the Hornets with a 2-for-4 output at the plate, in addition to totaling two RBI.  The difference of the evening, however, turned out to be five Hornet errors, while eight DSU pitchers combined to give up seven earned runs and five walks.

Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will head to Baltimore, Md. this weekend for a critical three-game series against MEAC foe Coppin State.  Earlier this season, the Hornets took all three games at home against CSU.