Courtesy of Delaware State Athletic Media Relations
PRINCESS ANNE, Md., April 21, 2013--Elliott Gardner tossed seven shutout innings and Delaware State stole a season-high 10 bases in an 11-0 MEAC North win over UMES at Hawk Field. The first-place Hornets won their seventh straight MEAC contest to improve to 16-2 in league play and 27-11 overall.
Gardner scattered five singles and struck out a season-high nine batters to earn his fifth win without a loss. He has thrown 27.2 consecutive scoreless innings over his last four appearances to set a modern-day school record.
The Middletown High School product tossed a seven-inning shutout at Coppin State, threw 6.2 scoreless innings vs. Norfolk State and blanked Maryland Eastern Shore for seven innings in his preview three outings.
Hassan Evans had three of the Hornets' 10 steals, while Mike Alexander and Ryan Haas stole two bases each. Alexander has a team-high 30 steals this season (30-for-32). J.P. Frey also swiped a base to give him 22 for the year (22-26).
Delaware State opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning. Alexander walked to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aaron Nardone and advanced to third on a steal. Eddie Sorondo followed with a ground out to short, with Alexander scoring on the play.
The Hornets scored four runs on just one hit in the third to open up a 5-0 lead. Cameron Onderko drove in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Cameron Cecil singled in a third inning run to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead. DSU scored its third run of the inning on a UMES error. The Hawks had six errors in the contest. Nardone produced the final run in the third on a sacrifice fly.
Delaware State added four runs on just two hits in the eighth to blow the game open. The Hornets were aided by four UMES errors in the eighth. Eddie Sorondo had DSU's only RBI of the inning on a two-out single.
The Hornets closed out the scoring on a two-run single by Evans in the ninth.
Relievers Zach Candeloro and Bobby Brown each pitched a scoreless inning to secure the Hornets' ninth shutout of the season.