NEWARK, DE – Monmouth University Baseball (8-9) scored five in the eighth to tie the game, the bulk coming on Alex Barker's grand slam, but the University of Delaware plated a late run to win the middle game of the series, 8-7. 

Monmouth cut into a pair of Delaware leads with solo home runs, with a Jake Catalano long ball making it 2-1 and a Barker solo shot cutting it to 3-2. The Blue Hens combined for four runs in the fifth and sixth to take a 7-2 advantage and held that until the eighth when MU mounted a comeback. 

With two on and two out in the eighth, consecutive walks forced in a run to make it 7-3 before Barker hit the first pitch out for his second of the game and a game-tying grand slam. The home team scratched across a single run in the bottom half on a fielder's choice to take an 8-7 lead, the eventual final. 

NOTES AND QUOTES

"We battled back in the late innings. Offensively we had some good moments, pitched out of a few jams and never quit. Defensively we needed to be better today, can't give teams 4 or 5 outs in an inning." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

-Barker posted the second straight four-hit game for a Hawk and third this season.
-Barker's grand slam is the second of his career and first of the season. 
-Jake Catalano's home run was his first of the season and second of his career. 
-Five RBI's for Barker is the most in a game by a Hawk this year. 
-Monmouth is now 4-5 all-time against Delaware.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Dan Klepchick started and went five, allowing three earned runs. 
-Delaware outhit Monmouth 15-9. 
-Dom Velasquez got the win for Delaware, and Mike Biasiello picked up the save. 

UP NEXT
-Monmouth and Delaware will play a rubber game tomorrow in Newark at 1:00 p.m.