By Jamie Zakreski
NEWARK – The University of Delaware baseball team braved snow and below-freezing temperatures in its home opener against the Fairfield University Stags.
Brandon Walter took the mound in a snowy home opener for UD. (Photo: Louis Mason)
Concerned about visibility, UD’s head coach Jim Sherman ng made light of the situation by offering some simple advice to his team: “Go out there and hit the biggest snowflake.”
Even without snow, seeing the ball was going to be tough.
The Stags started their ace, Austin Pope, a junior who drew major league scouts to Bob Hannah Stadium for the game. Despite his dominant arm, UD pounced early taking a 2-0 lead in the third when Pope walked the first two batters he faces and second baseman Erik Bowren drilled a clutch single to score both.
That was as good as it would get for the Hens, who lost 3-2 and have dropped12 straight to begin the season.
On the defensive side of the ball, UD was lead by left-handed pitcher Brandon Walter. After an injury to ace Billy Sullivan IV, Walter, a red-shirt junior from New Castle has stepped in after he sat out last season because of injury.
Walter pitched 7 innings, striking out seven and allowing only one earned run. Derek Wakeley took over in the 8th, but some costly infield miscues in the 9th cost UD the game.
Fairfield hit what would be a game winning double with two outs in the top of the ninth.
“They just played a better ninth inning,” Sherman said as the snow continued to fall. He stressed that the team’s pitching will be what carries them this season.
Sherman chalks up the early season struggles to inexperience and a handful of injuries that have sidelined some very talented players.
The offseason saw some additions to the squad that he expects to plug up some of the holes, including Jack Goan, a junior, who led the nation in batting average last year while playing junior college ball in Gloucester, NJ. Sherman hopes the newbies can raise the team batting average over its current. .221 mark.