NEWARK, Del. --- The Delaware State University baseball team snapped an 11-game losing streak to University of Delaware with an 18-15 win at Bob Hannah Stadium on Tuesday.
 
In a game that featured multiple lead-trades, the Hornets took the lead for good in the top of the eighth inning. Alan Alonso stepped up to the plate with the based loaded and the Hornets down one run. Alonso drilled a triple into center field bringing everyone home, giving Delaware State a 16-14 advantage.  "I just wanted find a way on somehow some way. I knew they had nowhere to put me, and I needed to be aggressive. I was ready for whatever they were going to throw at me." – Alonso on the at-bat that would score the eventual game-winning runs.
 
A couple batters later, Krew Bouldin gave the Hornets some more insurance by way of a two-RBI double into the gap in left center, extending the lead to 18-14.
 
Delaware would get one back in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to right field, trimming the deficit to three (18-15) but a three-run deficit was as close to the lead as the Blue Hens would get as Brandon Hatch shut the door on a possible comeback and secured the road win for the Hornets.
 
Hatch pitched three innings in relief and only allowed two hits and two runs in route to his first win of the season.
 
Delaware State got the scoring started early with seven-run top of the first, highlighted by the first career home run of Evan Harris. The Hornets already established a 3-0 lead after capitalizing on a few walks, hits by pitch and a couple passed balls by the time Harris got his chance to bat in the inning. Harris approached the plate with the bases loaded and took advantage of his opportunity with a home run over the right field wall for the game's first official hit and extending the Hornets' lead to 7-0 heading into the bottom of the first.
 
The Blue Hens wasted no time answering back as they responded with a 10-run bottom of the first, powered by a grand slam of their own. Two innings later, Delaware added to its lead on an RBI-walk pushing the advantage further in favor of the Blue Hens at 11-7 through three complete innings.
 
One half inning later, Trey Paige began chipping away at the deficit with an RBI-single to left field that scored Harris. Next batter up, Alonso brought the Hornets to within one by way of a two-RBI double into the gap at left center scoring Paige and Mike Worthington, trimming the Blue Hen lead to 11-10 at the top of the fourth.
 
Delaware State tied the game up at 11 in the top of the fifth after Paige drew a walk, scoring Robert Trujillo. They would go on to take their second lead of the game in the top of the sixth after Mike Carrington recorded a single to center field that brought Alec Rodriguez home, putting the game at 12-11 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Delaware responded with a two-run bottom of the sixth with two solo home runs, to take the lead back at 13-12 through six complete innings. Paige capitalized one half inning later on an error to tie the game at 13.

Delaware took its last lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh on another solo home run to right field.
 
As a team, the Hornets drew 12 walks and compiled 12 hits total and were on base after being hit by a pitch on four occasions.
 
Alonso led Delaware State with five RBI's on the afternoon, he was one of five Hornets to drive in multiple runs and was one four who notched multi-hit games at the plate. Bouldin had the most hits with three while Paige and Carrington chipped in with two each; all three of which also drove in a pair of runs respectively.

"It (being productive in a big win) means a lot to me, this is my first year here and I've heard all about the in-state rivalry between us and them and so it was good to get one on them. We feel like we're heading in the right direction. We feel like we're piecing it all together, I know it's a long season, but we feel like we're heading in the right direction." – Alonso added with what this win means to him as well as the team.  
 
"It was a great team win; our guys never gave up or gave in which is big for us and where were heading in terms of our team goals. We picked each other up, this team is about resilience, and they didn't quit when it mattered most." – Head Coach JP Blandin on today's win.  
 
Delaware State returns to action on Saturday for two games, first with Marist College at 11 a.m. and then will take on Navy at 4 p.m. Both games will take place at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Md.