NEWARK, Del. --- Junior third baseman Chris Amparo became just the third player in program history to hit three home runs in the same game joining Charlie Emerson who did so in 1977 and Randy Boyer back in 2006.
 
The midweek matchup between the Hornets and the Blue Hens ended up as a back-and-forth battle that saw University of Delaware prevail in the end by a final score of 14-12.
 
Trey Paige got the offensive outburst started in his first at bat of the game with a two-RBI home run over the left field wall that scored Nick Gnardellis who drew a walk his first time up to the plate for a 2-0 lead after the first frame.
 
Delaware put up three runs in the second for a 3-2 advantage through two innings of action.
 
Gnardellis belted his first round-tripper of the night to take back the lead one half inning later by way of a two-run home run that scored Wilfredo Mendez who had tripled earlier in the inning giving the Hornets a 4-3 lead through the top half of the third.
 
The Blue Hens answered right back with a two-run bottom of the third stealing back the lead to put the game at 5-4 in favor of the home team through the first third of the game.
 
The Hornets tied the game in the fourth after Jancarlos Colon's at-bat forced a Blue Hen error that allowed Evan Bouldin to score for a 5-5 contest.
 
Delaware State would not hold the lead for long as University of Delaware answered with a three-run home run from Bry Greenly which gave the Blue Hens an 8-5 advantage after four innings.
 
The Hornets did not go away quietly as the fifth inning of action saw two home runs from Gnardellis who blasted his second of the night with a solo shot over the fence in right center followed by Amparo's second home run of the evening which came with runners on base and gave Delaware State a 9-8 lead through the first half of the inning.
 
Delaware put five runs across in the bottom half of the fifth and another insurance run in the sixth for a lead that was not surrendered for the remainder of the game.
 
Amparo cemented his name into the history books in his final at-bat of the night with a solo home run over the wall in right center field. Amparo led all offensive performers in the game with five RBIs coming from four hits in five trips to the plate.
 
Gnardellis also recorded a multi-home run/RBI game finishing with a pair of round-trippers and three RBI's.
 
Jordan King also notched a multi-hit game with a pair of knocks in five at-bats.
 
As a team, Delaware State totaled six home runs in the game which is the most by a Hornet squad since the 2014 Hornets tallied seven against Lasalle.
 
Delaware State returns to action this weekend for a three-game series in Northeast Conference (NEC) competition with Wagner College. The opener of the matchup is slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch on Friday.