MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's baseball team fell to Delaware, 12-7, in the semifinals of the Liberty Bell Classic at Smithson Field on Tuesday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Joseph's (10-17) got off to a good start as Micah Wells struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced.  In the bottom of the first, the offense staked him to a lead as Alex Kelsey led off with a double and came in to score on a single by Carson Applegate.
 
• Aidan Duda then led off the second with a double before coming in on a bunt single by Kelsey to extend the lead to 2-0.
 
• Delaware (16-11) went ahead in the third on a grand slam by Aaron Graeber.  The Hawks got one back in the third, however, as Joey Pagano singled, advanced on a single by Tim Dickinson, and scored on a wild pitch, but the Blue Hens scored two runs of their own on wild pitches to make it a 6-3 game in the fourth.
 
• The Blue Hens tacked on two more in the top of the eighth after Graeber was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Evan Bouldin beat out a relay throw on a fielder's choice, but the Hawks batted around and cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the inning.
 
• Blake Primrose singled to start the frame before a one-out walk to Dean Bergmann put two aboard.  A fielder's choice left runners at the corners for Kelsey, who brought Primrose home with a double.  Applegate followed with a two-run single to make it 8-6 before Pagano was hit by a pitch and Owen Petrich singled home a run to make it a one-run game.
 
• Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, the Blue Hens would get all four runs back in the ninth, scoring on a bases-loaded hit batsman, a single, an error on a fielder's choice, and a sacrifice fly, to set the final margin.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Justin Needles pitched two innings of relief, allowing a run on three hits to earn the win, while Wells was charged with four runs on one hit while striking out seven in two and two-thirds innings of work.
 
• Kelsey was 3-for-6 on the day with two runs scored and two more driven in, while Applegate collected two hits and drove in three runs.
 
• Petrich and Primrose also rapped out a pair of hits apiece.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks head to St. Bonaventure to start a three-game series on Friday.