FORT PIERCE (Fl.) – The Delaware Valley University baseball team opened its 2020 campaign with a split in its doubleheader against Houghton College during its spring break trip to Fort Pierce, Florida. The Aggies dropped the first game, 5-4, but bounced-back in the second with a 4-1 win.

It was the end of the trip for the Highlanders who moved to 5-4 overall with the split while the Aggies are at 1-1.

DelVal got on the board first when Ryan Schuetrumpf led off the bottom of the second with a single and advanced to second on an error. Hank Bielen advanced him to third with a single and then stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Freshman Brad Kenjorski came up next and got his first collegiate hit, a two-RBI single.

Houghton responded in the top of the third with three runs on four hits to take a 3-2 lead. Zach Parr drove in one with an RBI double, and Cal Phillips drove in two with a single to center.

The Highlanders doubled their lead in the fourth with an unearned run as they took advantage of a DelVal error.

The Aggies fought back to tie the game with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth. Joey Lodato and Timmy Lallis each got aboard with singles and then came around to score.

Houghton came right back in the next half inning as Jeremy Newswanger delivered a bases loaded single to score the ultimate game-winning run and make it 5-4.

DelVal left two runners stranded over the final two frames, including Kenjorski who was aboard with a double in the sixth.

Kenjorski, Lallis, and Schuetrumpf each had two hits and Cody Brown pitched five innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits with three strike outs and a walk. Ryan Jantzen pitched one inning in relief and allowed one run on two hits, and Zach Goodell finished the game with a perfect seventh inning pitched.

In game two, Tom Crooks got aboard in the first inning with an infield single and then stole second. Two batters later, Schuetrumpf drove in Crooks with a double to left field.

In the second, Matt DeLaRosa and Lallis picked up RBI singles to extend the advantage to 3-0. The two teams combined for just five hits over the next four innings as the Aggies maintained the 3-0 lead going into the seventh and final frame. DeLaRosa picked up his second RBI with a sacrifice fly that plated Shawne Eldridge and made it 4-0.

The Highlanders threatened in the bottom of the seventh as they loaded the bases with nobody out. Senior Brendan Giampa came in for the save and gave up a sacrifice fly before striking out two batters to end the game and earn the save.

Six different players registered a hit for DelVal with Eldridge scoring twice and DeLaRosa driving in a pair. Dakota George earned the win with one earned run allowed on five hits and four strikeouts through six innings.

The Aggies will be back in action in Florida tomorrow with a twin bill against Gettysburg beginning at noon.