Dover, Del. (May 2, 2015) --- Zach Candeloro tossed a five-hit complete game to lead Delaware State to a 5-1 win over UMES in game two to help the Hornets earn a split in a MEAC doubleheader at Soldier Field today. The Hawks won the opener 9-3 to secure the No. 2 North seed in the upcoming MEAC Tournament.
Candeloro (1-0) struck out a career-high seven and walked just one in his first career complete game. He was two outs away from a shutout when Greg Turlik smacked a solo homer to right field to get the Hawks on the board. Candeloro struck out at least one batter in each inning but the sixth.
Chris Gonzalez had a homer and three runs batted in, and Jaylen Zielecki smacked a solo shot to provide the offense in support of Candeloro's gem.
The Hornets opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. Cameron Onderko singled with two outs and Gonzalez followed with his fifth homer of the season to right field.
Delaware State added a run in the third when David Kimbrough singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a ground out by Gonzalez. The Hornets opened up a 4-0 lead with a run in the fourth.
Zielecki greeted UMES reliever JP Black with a towering home run to right center to lead off the sixth inning, giving the Hornets a 5-0 lead.
Justin Allen, Jake Bartlett and Devin Beverly had two hits each in the nightcap for the Hornets.
Hawk starter Tanner Whiteman (3-5) was the losing pitcher.
In game one, UMES scored five runs in the last two innings to break open a close game. The Hornets were plagued by six errors in the opener. The Hawks led 4-3 before scoring four runs in the eighth inning and one in the ninth.
UMES opened the game one scoring with two runs in the first inning. The Hornets got one back in the bottom of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Austin Bentley; and tied the game on Beverly's first career home run in the third.
The Hawks regained the lead with a run in the fourth, aided by two DSU errors; but the Hornets tied the game again on a double by Zielecki in the bottom of the inning.
UMES broke the tie on a two-out single by Mike Escanilla to take a 4-3 lead in the sixth.
Escanilla, Joshua James and Turlik drove in two runs each for the Hawks in the opener.
Gonzalez led the Hornets with two hits in game one.
UMES starter Jesse Stinnett (6-5) was the winning pitcher, while Hornet starter Lane DeLeon (4-5) took the loss.
The teams will wrap up the series with a single game on Sunday at noon in the regular season finale for the Hornets. DSU will honor seniors Candeloro, Allen, Kimbrough, Bobby Brown and Charles Dailey prior to the contest.
