The Delaware State University baseball team rallied for eight runs between the seventh and eighth innings to secure an 8-5 comeback win over Lehigh University at Bob Reed Field on Saturday.
The Mountain Hawks jumped out in front early on after belting three home runs to establish a 4-0 lead by the fifth inning.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning still trailing, Mike Worthington got on base after drawing a walk. Worthington then got into scoring position after getting to second base on a wild pitch. Alan Alonso began the comeback with an RBI triple to center field that brought Worthington home and cutting the deficit to 4-1.
On the next at bat, Trey Paige brought Alonso home after dropping a single into left field and cut Lehigh’s lead in half down to 4-2.
Over the next two at bats, Miguel Rivera walked, and Alec Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and loaded the bases for the designated hitter Krew Bouldin. Bouldin was also hit by a pitch during his at bat and scored Paige, bringing the Hornets within one run (4-3) with Robert Trujillo asked to serve as a pinch hitter.
During Trujillo’s at bat, the Hornets capitalized on a wild pitch which allowed Rivera to come home from third base to tie the game at 4.
Hiram Davis who came on in relief in the sixth inning, retired the side in order in the top eighth, keeping Delaware State’s chances of a comeback victory alive heading into the bottom half of the inning.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Worthington stepped up to the plate and delivered the eventual game-winning run with a single to the gap in left center, allowing Carrington to score from second and giving the Hornets a 5-4 lead.
After Alonso was hit by a pitch, Paige came up to the plate with the bases loaded and gave the Hornets some insurance by way of an RBI-single to left field, extending the Delaware State lead to 6-4.
Rivera and Rodriguez added a run each with an RBI-sacrifice fly to centerfield doubling the Delaware State lead at 8-4 heading into the top of the ninth.
Lehigh would get one back in the top of the ninth trimming the deficit down to 8-5 before Davis slammed the door on a possible rally and secured the Hornets’ second straight home win.
“I think early on we were being too passive. When we were down 4-0, we said in the dugout we needed to have quality at bats and make Lehigh play defense. It really paid off the rest of the way. I just know that the guys trust me and have a lot of confidence in me to get it done. That really helps me with my at bats when I know there’s work to do.” – Paige on the team’s win and his personal performance. Paige paced the offensive effort with three hits, two RBI’s and a walk.
Alonso and Worthington posed threats all day on the bases as they scored a pair of runs each.
As a team, Delaware State drew seven walks and got on base after being hit by a pitch three times.
Davis finished the day only giving up four hits and one run. He got six batters out on strikes and did not allow a single free base runner in route to his first win of the season.
“The biggest thing was I was trying to do was to keep my emotions in check and trying to keep Lehigh from scoring anymore. I also had to tell myself that looking at our lineup I knew if I did my job, that they’d make it up. When you look at our lineup, we believe that being down by four runs wasn’t a big deal and we would find a way to come back. It was huge to get another win at home in our first weekend here. Me being an older guy in the dugout I had to show the guys I had their back and with how last weekend played out we wanted to right that wrong. With everything that transpired today, it was a huge confidence boost for us.” – Davis on his outing on the mound and the team’s win.