DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University baseball team got out to an early lead and held on late to earn an 8-7 non-conference victory at home over the University of Valley Forge on a nice day at Frank Wolfgang Field.
The Aggies improved to 10-13 overall while the Patriots dropped to 5-16.
First-year Alex Jacobs made his first collegiate start for DelVal and retired the first two batters he faced. After a pair of singles, Jacobs got a fly out to center field to strand the runners.
Senior Timmy Lallis led off the bottom of the first with a single to left field and then raced around to score from first base on a well-executed hit and run. Gage Ambruster picked up the RBI with a single and advanced to second on the throw to the plate. Two batters later, Jonathan Drews earned an RBI as he drove in Ambruster with a groundout to second base. The Aggies held an early 2-0 lead after one.
Valley Forge got on the board in the top of the third with an unearned run after an error in the frame. DelVal responded in the bottom of the third with an unearned run of its own as Jimmy Kelly crossed the plate thanks to a pair of errors to make it a 3-1 game after three.
A misplayed ball in the outfield by the Aggies in the top of the fourth inning allowed the Patriots to score another unearned run and cut the lead to one, 3-2, after four.
The DelVal offense took advantage of another error in the bottom of the fifth and then played small ball to tack on another run. Lallis reached on an error, Ambruster bunted him over to second, Lallis stole third, then the Aggies executed a perfect suicide squeeze that plated Lallis. Kelly laid down the bunt to earn the RBI and make it 4-2 after five.
The Patriots got the run back in the next half inning in nearly the same fashion as Alex Shim earned an RBI with a bunt back to the pitcher that scored Reggie Washington to get it back to a one-run game.
DelVal answered again in the bottom of the sixth after a single and consecutive singles by Brendan Hoagland and Blake Ramos loaded the bases. Lallis came up next and was hit by a pitch to score a run and make it 5-3 after six.
Reliever Kenny Tunnison retired the Patriots in order in the top of the seventh and the Aggie offense posted three runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame to open up an 8-3 lead. Bright, Hoagland, and Ramos all hit RBI singles in consecutive order to highlight the run.
In the top of the eighth, Valley Forge put together a two-out rally with a hit by pitch followed by four singles and a double to pull within one, 8-7. Ridge Watson came on for Tunison with two outs and runners at second and third, but was able to get Will Hartman to strike out to end the threat and preserve the lead.
Watson allowed just one baserunner in the top of the ninth and got Shim to strike out swinging to end the game as he earned his second save of the year in the 8-7 victory. Watson struck out three of the five batters he faced in the game.
DelVal posted 10 hits in the game from seven different players including two apiece for Bright, Hoagland, and Ramos who each added an RBI as well. Jacobs pitched four innings and allowed two unearned runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Kyle Bailey pitched 1.2 innings and allowed one unearned run on one hit and struck out two.
The Patriots got 12 hits led by a 3-for-5 effort from Allan Goodwin who finished with an RBI and a run scored. Gonzales suffered the loss after four innings pitched and three runs allowed on five hits.
The Aggies will play their fifth game in four days tomorrow when they travel to York College of Pennsylvania for a non-conference contest beginning at 3:30 p.m.
