PANTHERSVILLE, GA – Ryan Cuneo extended his hitting streak to 18 games and Josh Dean roped three doubles to help lead the University of Delaware baseball team to its third straight win with an 8-5 victory over Colonial Athletic Association foe Georgia State at The Field on Saturday night.

With a single in the third, Cuneo kept his streak alive, tying current teammate Alex Buchholz and former standout Mike Gomez for the 14th longest stretch in program history. Dean (at right) also extended his own seven-game roll with a 4-for-5 performance.

Coupled with the Hens’ victory in yesterday’s action, the team has won the first two games of a series for the first time all season. Delaware (18-27, 9-14 CAA) also ensured its fourth series win of the year after the squad took two games from The Citadel, Northeastern, and Hofstra earlier in the season.

Along with the team’s offensive exploits, starter Brad Miller (3-3) had an excellent game on the mound. Over 6.2 innings, the sophomore right-hander did not allow a single earned run to Georgia State (26-20, 8-14), limiting the Panthers to six hits while striking out four.

The Blue Hen lineup supported Miller early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first after Scott Shockley was hit by a pitch and came around to score on an RBI double by Chris Nehl. After being shutout in the second, Delaware came back with one run in each of the next two innings to grab a three-run lead.

In the third, Dean ripped a lead-off double to left center, and after stealing third, he scored on Cuneo’s single back up the middle. The team looked primed to break the game open when Nehl followed with a single and Pat Dameron walked to load the bases, but a pop-up to short and fly-out to center ended the threat.

Dean returned to highlight the team’s fourth trip to the plate when his second double of the game moved Kyle Davis to third with only one out. With a runner just 90-feet away from home, Shockley lifted a sacrifice fly to center to put the Hens up, 3-0.

Although the Panthers finally got on the board in the fifth when Marc Mimeault scored after reaching on a Blue Hen error, Delaware came back with two runs during each of the next two innings to grab a commanding six-run lead.

Dean and Shockley ripped back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth before Dameron laced a two-run double in the seventh to push Delaware’s lead to 7-1. In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers cut into their deficit, capitalizing on another Blue Hen error to score twice and pull within four.

Delaware answered with one in the eighth as Dean and Cuneo teamed up to score another run. Dean led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and came home when Cuneo drilled a single through the right side of the infield.

Georgia State made the game interesting in their second-to-last at bat when the Panthers loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. With no room on the base paths, Matt Van Horn notched an infield single that brought home the first run of the inning. After closer David Slovak entered the game, he allowed a sacrifice fly to Mimeault before striking out the last two batters of the inning to end the rally with the Hens still ahead, 8-5.

Following a perfect ninth, Slovak notched his fifth save of the season and second in as many days. Will Palmer (3-2) took the loss for Georgia State after allowing six runs, including four earned, in his six-inning outing.

The Hens will go for their first series sweep of the season when they face the Panthers in a 1 p.m. finale tomorrow.

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