NEWARK, DE -- Senior leftfielder Bryan Hagerich (right) hit two home runs for the third consecutive game, and Alex Buchholz, Adam Tsakonas and Bill Merkler all added three hits as the University of Delaware baseball team defeated Rutgers University 13-9 on Wednesday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.

The game extended the Hens’ season-long winning streak to four games. Hagerich’s three straight multi-homer games ties the school mark set by Kevin Mench in an America East series against Maine in March of 1998.

“This is a very special achievement for a young man who has worked very hard to get to the point where he is right now,” Delaware head coach Jim Sherman said of Hagerich’s feat. “I told him before the season that I thought this would be his best year yet, and so far it has turned out that way.”

After hitting five home runs in Tuesday’s win over Delaware State, the Hens (11-16) continued their barrage of homers in the first inning. Ryan Jablonski hit Scarlet Knight starter Dennis Hill’s second pitch of the game over the centerfield fence, and with two outs Hagerich launched his 12th home run of the season to give the Hens a 2-0 lead.

In the second, Delaware put up five hits and five runs, highlighted by a two-run double to the right centerfield gap by Buchholz. In an odd twist, all eight Delaware batters of the inning reached base, but the Scarlet Knights (18-13) escaped further damage by throwing out Danny Overcash trying to stretch a single into a double, Buchholz was thrown out trying stretch his double into a triple and Hagerich was thrown out stealing after a walk.

Delaware added two more in the bottom of the third. Tsakonas doubled to center and came home on a single by Merkler. Merkler later scored on a fielder’s choice from Jablonski to put the Hens up 9-0. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Hens baserunning woes continued as Kyle Davis was picked off third base by Rutgers catcher Frank Meade.

The Scarlet Knights then got back into the game with three runs on four hits in the top of the fourth. Delaware extended its lead again in the bottom of the fourth with Hagerich’s second home run of the day.

Rutgers scored two runs in the seventh and once in the eighth when it loaded the bases with one out and the score 13-8. Delaware reliever David Slovak came on and walked Ryan Hill to bring in a run. Slovak then struck out cleanup hitter David Williams and then got Tom Edwards to foul out to Jablonski at third to end the inning. Slovak then worked a perfect ninth for his third save.

Todd Ozog started and pitched four innings for the Hens for his first win, while Hill took the loss for the Scarlet Knights.

The Hens return to action on Friday when they host UNC Wilmington at 3 p.m. in the first game of a CAA series at Bob Hannah Stadium.

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