University of Pennsylvania Athletics

DOVER, Del. - The University of Pennsylvania baseball team made a trip to Bob Reed Field on Tuesday afternoon and claimed a 10-5 victory over Delaware State to begin Liberty Bell Classic action.

Quaker Notemeal
*Nick Spaventa was Penn's best performer at the plate against the Hornets, logging three RBIs on two hits, one of which was a double.
 
*Seniors Jarrett Pokrovsky and Ryan Taylor also had nice days at the dish, registering two hits, two runs scored and one RBI apiece.
 
*Jay Secretarski opened his collegiate home run account on Tuesday with a deep shot over the left-field wall in the fourth inning.

*Junior outfielder Gavin Degnan accounted for the Red and Blue's remaining hit, which was an RBI single in the second inning. He also scored two runs against the Hornets.

*The Quakers stole a season-high seven bases on Tuesday and Taylor led the way with three stolen bags.

*Freshman Ben Moulin earned his third start of the season on the hill for Penn and notched two strikeouts in three innings. The visitors threw an additional six arms against Delaware State, featuring appearances from Andrew Miehe, Thomas Egbert, John Cerwinski, Braden Fridgen, Luke Pokrovsky and Josh Katz.

How It Happened
The Quakers got off to a hot start, scoring three runs in the first inning. Taylor started as Penn's leadoff hitter and after being walked he made his way to third via two stolen bases. Secretarski then drew a walk, and the first run of the day crossed home plate on an error by the hosts' catcher. Secretarski also scored on an error and the third run of the frame was batted in on a sac fly from Spaventa.

Moulin made quick work of the Hornets' first three batters, retiring them in order.

The Red and Blue tacked on three more runs in the second inning on four hits. Taylor led off with a single to right field and eventually made his way home courtesy of an RBI single from Degnan. With two runners on base, Spaventa made it a 6-0 ballgame with a double to left field. Reliever Shane Carter escaped the inning by getting Gavin Collins to ground into a double play.

Delaware State sent Penn back to the dugout in 1-2-3 fashion to begin the third frame and it scored its first run in the bottom portion. A pair of singles got the hosts' bats rolling and Santino Harwood's sac fly to center field allowed Cameron Coco to cross home plate.

Penn added another run in style in the fourth inning. Secretarski was due up first and was facing a 2-2 count before launching his first collegiate home run over the wall in left field to give the visitors a 7-1 advantage.

The Hornets responded with their second run of the day in the bottom of the fifth inning. Following Coco's leadoff walk, Rosnell Lewis and Harwood were also given free passes, which loaded the bases for the hosts. Delaware State's second run waltzed across the dish when Carter Boyd was hit by a pitch. Egbert did well to make his way out of a tough situation by striking out his next batter and forcing the final out into a fly out.

Penn crossed home plate for the eighth time in the sixth inning as Secretarski managed to score from third on a wild pitch.

The visitors' ninth run of the outing was driven in by Taylor in the seventh frame. With two outs, Nick O'Brien made his way to first base after drawing a walk and quickly advanced to second on an error. Taylor proceeded to rip a double to right field, leaving O'Brien with an easy path home.

Penn reached double-digit runs in the eighth inning. Pokrovsky made his way to first after being hit by a pitch and Spaventa followed up with a single to center field that advanced Pokrovsky to third. The Quakers' 10^th run of the afternoon was scored courtesy of an RBI groundout by Ernie Echevarria, which sent Pokrovsky home.

Delaware State retaliated with three runs in the bottom of the eighth frame, highlighted by RBIs from Jaryn Sample, Caleb King and Lewis.

Despite the Hornets' late push to make things interesting in the final inning, senior closer Katz kept the hosts off the board to claim Penn's eighth win of the season and first in Liberty Bell Classic play.

The Red and Blue return to Liberty Bell Classic action on April 7 and they'll face Lafayette as the Leopards took down Villanova this afternoon.

Up Next
The Quakers now gear up for more Ivy League action this weekend as they're slated to take on Columbia in a three-game series. Saturday will feature a doubleheader with games scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., while the finale on Sunday begins at noon.
 
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.