Kris Dufner's two-run single to left field in the top of the ninth inning broke a 2-2 tie and led Delaware to its third-straight America East Baseball Championship with a 4-2 win over Northeastern. The Blue Hens, 37-18, earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship and await the NCAA seedings Monday afternoon. The Huskies close their season at 25-24.
Chris Kolodzey started the ninth inning rally with a leadoff single though the left side of the infield. John Schneider walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Northeastern starter and loser Ken Henry (4-6), who allowed seven hits in nine innings with two strikeouts and four walks, got Vince Vukovich to fly out to left field and Steve Harden to ground out to third with both runners advancing to set up Dufner.
Delaware had rallied from a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the seventh inning on John Schneider's two-run homer down the left field line. With one out, Henry issued his first walk of the game to Chris Kolodzey and Schneider lined a 1-1 fastball over the 325-foot sign in left.
Vic Sage allowed seven hits while striking out six and walking one to improve to 4-2.
Sage allowed the Huskies two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Todd Korchin led off the inning with a solo home run to left center field. Mike Wysong then singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Steve Padovani singled to left field to put runners at the corners and Omar Pena's groundout to short scored Wysong.
Vukovich, who was 6-11 at the plate and hit the game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Thursday's 4-3 win over Northeastern, was named the championship's Most Outstanding Player.
U. of Delaware 4 (37-18)
Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Reid Gorecki lf........... 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
Casey Fahy cf............. 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
Andrew Salvo 2b........... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 2
Peter Maestrales 3b....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Chris Kolodzey rf......... 2 2 1 0 1 0 4 1
John Schneider c.......... 3 2 1 2 1 0 6 0
Vince Vukovich dh......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
Steve Harden 1b........... 4 0 1 0 0 1 7 0
Kris Dufner ss............ 4 0 1 2 0 1 2 5
Vic Sage p................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Totals.................... 33 4 7 4 4 2 27 10
Northeastern 2 (25-24)
Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Steve Padovani 2b......... 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 0
Omar Pena ss.............. 4 0 1 1 0 0 4 2
Matt Keating 1b........... 4 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Ben Beck lf............... 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 0
Pedro Pena rf............. 4 0 1 0 0 2 4 0
Brendan Ryan cf........... 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 1
Todd Korchin dh........... 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
Mike Wysong 3b............ 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 4
Tim Troville c............ 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0
Ken Henry p............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals.................... 32 2 7 2 1 6 27 7
Score by innings: R H E
----------------------------------------------
U. of Delaware 000 000 202 - 4 7 0
Northeastern 000 020 000 - 2 7 0
----------------------------------------------
DP - Delaware 1. LOB - Delaware 7; Northeastern 5.
HR - Schneider(9); Korchin(5).
SH - Troville(1).
U. of Delaware IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ERA NP
Vic Sage............ 9.0 7 2 2 1 6 32 34 4.97 97
Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ERA NP
Ken Henry........... 9.0 7 4 4 4 2 33 38 6.95 126
Win - Sage 4-2. Loss - Henry 4-6. Save - None.
WP - Henry(6).
HBP - by Henry (Kolodzey).
Umpires - Home:Joe Caccitore 1st:Jim Ricci 2nd:Lou Petrucci 3rd:Don January
Start: 12:03 pm Time: 1:55 Attendance: 212
Game Notes:
America East Tournament Game #6...Delaware earns third straight NCAA bid
...Sage pitches America East clincher for second straight season...NCAA
selections announced Monday 3 p.m. EDT via ESPN...Tourney MOP: Vince
Vukovich.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
U. of Delaware inning 1
Gorecki popped up to cf (0-0). Fahy flied out to rf (1-0). Salvo lined out
to rf (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 1
Padovani singled up the middle (0-0). Pena, Omar popped up to ss (0-0).
Keating hit into double play 2b to 1b (0-1); Padovani out on the play. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 2
Maestrales flied out to rf (0-0). Kolodzey hit by pitch (0-0). Schneider
flied out to cf (2-2). Vukovich singled through the right side (0-0);
Kolodzey advanced to second. Harden struck out swinging (0-2). 0 runs, 1
hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Northeastern inning 2
Beck struck out swinging (0-2). Pena, Pedro singled through the left side
(2-1). Ryan lined out to rf (2-1). Korchin popped up to 3b (0-0). 0 runs,
1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 3
Dufner struck out looking (3-2). Gorecki popped up to rf (0-0). Fahy
grounded out to 3b (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 3
Wysong singled to left field (0-1). Troville struck out swinging (2-2).
Padovani lined out to lf (1-0). Pena, Omar singled to third base (0-0);
Wysong advanced to second. Keating reached on a fielder's choice (0-0);
Pena, Omar out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 4
Salvo grounded out to ss (1-1). Maestrales flied out to lf to left center
(1-0). Kolodzey grounded out to ss (0-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 4
Beck grounded out to ss (1-1). Pena, Pedro struck out looking (1-2). Ryan
grounded out to ss (0-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 5
Schneider flied out to cf (0-1). Vukovich grounded out to 1b unassisted
(2-1). Harden singled, out at second cf to ss (2-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 5
Korchin homered to left field, RBI (1-1). Wysong singled to left field
(2-2). Troville out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt (0-0); Wysong advanced to
second. Padovani singled to left field (1-1); Wysong advanced to third.
Pena, Omar grounded out to ss, RBI (0-0); Padovani advanced to second;
Wysong scored. Keating grounded out to 2b (0-1). 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors,
1 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 6
Dufner popped up to ss (1-2). Gorecki grounded out to 3b (2-2). Fahy
singled up the middle (1-0). Salvo reached on a fielder's choice (1-1);
Fahy out at second ss unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 6
Beck lined out to 3b (1-2). Pena, Pedro struck out swinging (0-2). Ryan
grounded out to ss (3-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 7
Maestrales grounded out to 1b unassisted (2-1). Kolodzey walked (3-1).
Schneider homered down the lf line, 2 RBI (1-1); Kolodzey scored. Vukovich
walked (3-0). Harden popped up to ss (0-1). Dufner flied out to lf (1-2).
2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 7
Korchin walked (3-1). Wysong flied out to lf to left center (0-0).
Troville reached on a fielder's choice (0-2); Korchin out at second rf to
ss. Padovani flied out to rf (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 8
Gorecki flied out to cf to left center (0-1). Fahy walked (3-2). Salvo
reached on a fielder's choice (0-0); Fahy out at second 3b to 2b.
Maestrales lined out to cf (1-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 8
Pena, Omar grounded out to 3b (1-0). Keating flied out to cf (1-0). Beck
flied out to rf (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
U. of Delaware inning 9
Kolodzey singled through the left side (0-0). Schneider walked (3-2);
Kolodzey advanced to second. Vukovich flied out to lf (0-1). Harden
grounded out to 3b (3-2); Schneider advanced to second; Kolodzey advanced to
third. Dufner singled to left field, 2 RBI (1-0); Schneider scored;
Kolodzey scored. Gorecki singled to shortstop (2-0); Dufner advanced to
second. Gorecki advanced to second; Dufner advanced to third on a wild
pitch. Fahy grounded out to 1b unassisted (3-2). 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors,
2 LOB.
Northeastern inning 9
Pena, Pedro lined out to rf (2-1). Ryan struck out swinging (1-2). Korchin
struck out looking (0-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
