Hempstead, NY - Hofstra scored nine runs with two outs in the seventh inning to turn a 9-5 deficit into a 14-9 lead and held off Delaware, 14-11, Friday evening in the opening game of a four-game Colonial Athletic Association series at University Field. The Pride sent 15 men to the plate in the inning and took advantage of five bases-loaded walks from Delaware pitching.

Hofstra, which won for the third consecutive game, improves to 13-14 overall and 4-8 in CAA play. Delaware falls to 8-15 overall and 4-8 in league action with its fifth consecutive loss.

After the Blue Hens scored a run in the top of the first, the Pride answered back in the bottom of the second with five runs. Alex Sica had an RBI single to tie the score and after an infield single loaded the bases, Austin Gauthier cracked a grand slam home run over the right field fence to make it 5-1 in favor of Hofstra.

The Blue Hens would chip away, scoring twice in the third and once in the fourth before a four-run fifth gave the visitors an 8-5 advantage. Aidan Kane had the big blow in the fifth, a three-run home run. Delaware added another run in the seventh to up its lead to four, 9-5.

Hofstra got the bottom of the seventh started with a leadoff single from Aidan Larkin. After a fly out, Santino Rosso singled through the right side to put runners on first and second. Following a fly out for the second out of the inning, Anthony D'Onofrio delivered a two-run double off the fence in left to make it 9-7. That ended the day for Delaware starter Chris Ludman as Josh Venti came on to pitch. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and prompted another pitching change, as Derek Wakeley came on and walked all three batters he faced, forcing in three runs and giving the Pride a 10-9 lead. Winston Allen relieved Wakeley and walked his first two batters to make it 12-9. Rob Weissheier closed out the Hofstra scoring with a two-run single to left for a 14-9 Hofstra lead.

The Blue Hens got two runs back in the eighth, but John Mikolaicyk got the final out in the eighth and came back out for a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.

Michael O'Hanlon (1-0), who threw 2/3 of an inning, earned his first collegiate victory. Venti (1-1) took the loss for Delaware, allowing two runs on two walks without recording an out.

Kane had three hits and four RBIs for the Blue Hens. Kyle Baker went 4-4 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs.

The teams continue their series Saturday with a doubleheader at 11 a.m.

Notes:
-Hofstra starter Jack Jett recorded his 100th strikeout in a Hofstra uniform in the first inning and finished with five in 4 1/3 innings for 104 in his two-plus seasons with the Pride. He is the 21st Hofstra pitcher to record 100 career strikeouts.
-Gauthier's grand slam was his fifth home run of the year and was the Pride's second grand slam this season (Steve Harrington at Delaware).
-Gauthier finished with five RBIs on the day.
-Will Kennedy and Larkin each had two hits for the Pride.
-Weissheier, D'Onofrio, and Sica each had two RBIs for Hofstra.