NEWARK, DE -- Senior tri-captain Adam Tsakonas clubbed two home runs and helped the University of Delaware rally from an early eight-run deficit only to see the UMBC Retrievers score two in the eighth to take the game, 12-11, on Tuesday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.

After a two-run home run by Tsakonas (at right) in the bottom of the seventh capped off an incredible Delaware rally that saw the Blue Hens erase an early eight-run deficit, the Retrievers answered with their own two-run blast in the top of the eighth by Joe Fowler that put UMBC ahead for good.

With the victory, the Retrievers, led by head coach and 1975 Blue Hen captain John Jancuska, improve to 2-2 on the season. Delaware falls to 3-5.

The game started promising for the Blue Hens after they got on the board first following a short two-out rally during their first trip to the plate. After Delaware’s first two hitters went down in order, Alex Buchholz roped a triple to the right field gap before Jared Olson laced a run-scoring double down the right field line.

UMBC only trailed for a moment, though, as the Retrievers’ Sterling Sams opened the second inning with a home run to right center that knotted the game at 1. The next inning, UMBC quickly untied the game after Brad Brainer doubled, Fowler walked, and pitcher Will Delawater crushed a homer over the right field scoreboard and into the woods to put the Retrievers up, 4-1.

Delawter struck again in the fourth, hitting his second home run of the game on a three-run opposite field shot over the left center field fence. Fowler also added a two-run single to up UMBC’s lead to 9-1.

Despite trailing by eight, the Blue Hens battled back with their own five-run inning in the bottom of the fourth. After the Retrievers brought in Sean Rae out of the bullpen, Pat Dameron and Ryan Cuneo greeted him with back-to-back singles. Following a wild pitch that brought in Dameron, sophomore Josh Dean slammed a two-run blast to left center. One batter later, Kyle Davis hit a double down the left field line before Adam Tsakonas crushed his first home run of the game.

Unfazed by the Delaware rally, UMBC answered with another run in the top of the fifth. After Sams and Shawn Retz hit back-to-back singles, Tom Meaney sacrificed the two runners over and Mark Lemon drove Sams in with an RBI groundout to short.

After putting two runners on base in the fifth without getting any across the plate, the Hens put up a three-spot in the sixth on a three-run homer by Olson. Davis led off the inning with a single and was followed by a walk to Tsakonas before Olson cranked his second home run of the season which pulled the Hens within one at 11-9.

That set up Tsakonas' clutch two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh that followed a double by Davis. The home run was his team-leading fifth of the year.

Despite the home run, closer David Slovak could not hold on to the lead. After Wink Nolan reached on an error by the shortstop, Slovak surrendered a long home run to Fowler that clinched the game for the visitors.

Slovak (1-1) took the loss. Ryan Morse (1-0), who pitched 3.1 innings of relief, picked up the win.

Davis, Tsakonas, and Dean all finished with three hits for the Hens, while Olson had four RBI.

Catcher Ryan Reed also had a strong game in the field, gunning down Mark Lemon attempting to steal in the second inning before also picking off Tom Meaney, who had wandered too far off first in the seventh.

The Blue Hens will return to action tomorrow for a 2:30 showdown with Rider at Bob Hannah Stadium.

Boxscore