HOBOKEN, Pa. (March 27, 2022)  – Graduate student Thomas Paulich and senior Sutton Dole each homered as the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team defeated Delaware Valley University 8-4 to salvage a split of their MAC Freedom doubleheader Sunday at Dobbelaar Field.

First-year Evan Pravato joined graduate student Hunter Silvernail and senior Brett Mendez in driving in runs for the Ducks, who fell to the Aggies 2-0 in the opener. The split left Stevens with a 15-7 record on the year and a 4-2 mark in league play. 

Hank Bielen went 4 for 4 in the opener and Kenneth Tunison had a pair of RBI in game two for the Aggies, who finished the day 7-8 on the year and 1-5 in MAC Freedom play. The Ducks earned their second conference series victory after winning two of the three contests.

"Winning the second game today allowed us to win another conference series," head coach Kristaps Aldins said. "Credit is due to Delaware Valley in game one as they played an excellent overall game."

The Ducks jumped on Cole Holsinger (0-3) early and often, scoring a run in the first and two in the second to chase the Delaware Valley right-hander. Silvernail put the Ducks on the board with a two-out single to score senior Ryan Wall, who had doubled to left-center. Stevens' clutch hitting was noteworthy in game two as the Ducks had eight two-out hits, which turned into five runs. 

Paulich led off the second with a first-pitch blast to right, his second longball of the season. Dole singled to right two pitches later and would come around to score on Mendez's RBI single to left. Holsinger allowed three runs on five hits over two innings, while striking out one.

While the Ducks' bats were coming to life, junior Ryan Shea (5-0) kept Delaware Valley off the board. The Westwood, Massachusetts native didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth inning and scattered just two hits over the first five in picking up his fifth win of the year. Shea leads the conference in wins.

Stevens greeted reliever Ethan Saxe with three runs in the third to push the lead to six. Junior Michael Reyes began the rally with a two-out single through the right side and the Ducks' center fielder promptly stole second. Paulich followed with an RBI single and came around to score when Bielen dropped Gage Ambruster's throw on Dole's grounder to short. Senior Ryan Finegan singled to keep the line moving and Dole rounded out the inning, scoring on Pravato's RBI single. 

The Aggies threatened for the first time in the fifth. Blake Ramos walked and moved to third when Tyler Mellinger singled to short. Shea walked Bobby Bright on six pitches to potentially load the bases, but Ramos drifted off the bag at third as Bright jogged down to first and was nabbed by Silvernail, who was behind the plate in game two, to end the threat.

Shea ran into trouble in the sixth as the first five batters of the inning reached. The Aggies scored four in the frame before sophomore Jacob Buurman retired Jimmy Kelly on a grounder with runners on first and second to end the frame. Shea wrapped up his day allowing three earned runs over 5 2-3 innings with seven strikeouts.

Dole homered in the sixth gave the Ducks an 8-4 lead and Buurman worked around a leadoff walk to close out his second career save.
    
The opener featured an outstanding pitching duel as Delaware Valley scored an unearned run in the first and an unearned run in the seventh to squeak past the Ducks. First-year Jordan Fisse (2-1) took a hard-luck loss, striking out seven over 5 1-3 innings. Dalton Moore (1-2) scattered just three hits over five innings. Ridge Watson struck out four to earn his first save of the year.

Stevens had its best chance to break through against Moore in the fifth. Pravato connected for a one-out single up the middle and moved to third on Mendez's groundout. Junior Ben Tobio walked and the pair quickly stole second and third, but Wall grounded out to first to end the inning.

Up Next: Baseball heads to Newark, New Jersey to take on Rutgers-Newark on Mar. 30 at Weequahic Park. The Ducks defeated the Scarlet Raiders 9-8 on Mar. 23 on Wall's walk-off three-run homer.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise