NEWARK, Del. - Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) and Jon Guida (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) had two hits each, but the Monmouth University baseball team was defeated by Delaware, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at Bob Hannah Baseball Stadium. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 2-4, while the Blue Hens improve to 4-4.

In addition to Gronsky and Guida's two hits each, Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) and Joe Bamford (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills Regional [Northampton CC]) added one hit each. Dan Smith (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) started on the mound for the Hawks, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings pitched. TJ Hunt (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on five hits without walking a batter over 3.1 innings pitched.

Zach Lopes led Delaware with a 4-for-4 effort, while Nick Ferdinand was 3-for-4 with three RBI's. Stephen Richter earned the win for the Blue Hens, pitching 1.2 innings of hitless relief, walking one while striking out four.

The Blue Hens struck first in the bottom of the first inning, as Joe Giacchino walked and stole second before scoring on Ferdinand's infield single. The Hawks responded in the second inning, putting runners on first and second when Chris Perret (Morris Plains, N.J./Morris Catholic) walked and Guida followed with a single up the middle. After a strikeout, Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) reached on an error to load the bases. Dan Shea's (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) fielder's choice scored Perret to tie the score at 1-1.

The Hawks took their first lead of the game in the third, as Perry doubled with one out and moved to third on a passed ball. He then scored on Gronsky's single up the middle. But Delaware again tied the score on Ferdinand's two-out triple to right to score DJ Long.

After a scoreless fourth, Ferdinand struck again with a two-out double to left to score Jimmy Yezzo and put the Blue Hens back on top, 3-2. But the Hawks again countered with a run in the top of the sixth, when Danny Avella (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) walked and advanced three bases to score on three wild pitches.

Delaware again retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth, when the first three batters, Ty Warrington, Cameron Travalini and Lopes all singled to rudely welcome Hunt to the game and load the bases. But Hunt limited the damage to a Brock Niggebrugge sacrifice fly to score Warrington, before Perry gunned down Lopes, the trail runner at second, on a Delaware double-steal attempt for the second out. Hunt then induced a Giacchino groundout to extinguish the threat and keep the deficit at 4-3.

Avella struck out to start the eighth inning, but reached on a passed ball. Casey Saverio (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) pinch ran for Avella and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Stewart that turned into a fielder's choice and runners on first and second for the Hawks with nobody out. The Blue Hens cut down Saverio at third on Shea's sacrifice bunt attempt for the first out, but Bamford doubled to left to score Stewart and tie the game at 4-4.

But the Blue Hens took the walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth. Lopes singled, moved to second on a Niggebrugge groundout and scored on a Giacchino single to right to score Lopes and end the game.  

The Hawks wrap up their three-game series at Delaware Sunday. First pitch from Bob Hannah Baseball Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.