DOVER, DE (February 21, 2009) – The Lincoln University baseball team dropped a double header to NCAA Division I Delaware State University on Saturday afternoon. (GAME 1 BOXSCORE) (GAME 2 BOXSCORE)

The first game jitters for the young Lions were a major factor for a team starting five new players wearing the blue and orange.  Freshman Aaron Thomas (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) was on the mound for the first game getting pulled after getting just two outs, walking eight hitters and giving up eight earned runs.  Junior shortstop/pitcher Omar Ongay (Wilmington, DE/Glasgow) (Wilmington, DE/Glasgow)  came in and settled the game down scattering 12 hits over the next four innings striking out four Hornet hitters.

Melvin Robinson (Bear, DE/William Penn) (New Castle, DE/William Penn) came in to pitch a scoreless sixth inning giving up just one hit, one walk and striking out the side.

Thomas did have the first hit of the 2009 season for the Lions in his first at bat hitting a single up the middle in the third inning.  Fellow freshman Robert Webster (Washington, DC/Bishop McNamara) (Washington, D.C./Bishop McNamara) also recorded his first hit in a Lions uniform hitting a single in the fifth inning.

In game two of the double header, the Lions definitely put up more of a fight.  They scored in the first inning as Webster walked and stole second base, senior catcher Joe Kruemmer (Middletown, DE/Hodgson Vo-Tech) (Middletown, DE/Hodgson Vo-Tech) walked followed by Ongay and freshman first baseman Alex Donald (Los Angeles, CA/Dorsey) who recorded his first RBI of his career and Webster's first run scored of his career.

Junior pitcher/outfielder Peter Reyes (Bronx, NY/Enviornmental Studies) (Bronx, NY/Environmental Studies) pitched solid for the Lions as he kept the game close at 4-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.  Lincoln fought hard throughout the game but the Hornet pitching was too much as they struck out 12 hitters in seven innings. 

Lincoln is back in action tomorrow as they travel back to Delaware State University for another double header beginning at 12:00pm.

Game 1                        1  2  3  4  5  6  7                      R          H        E

Lincoln                         0  0  0  0  0  0  0                      0          2          4

Delaware State           10 2  5  1  3  0  X                      21        14        1

Game 2

Lincoln                         1  0  0  0  0  0  0                      1          2          1

Delaware State             0  1  2  0  1  5  X                     9          11        0

--LU--