The University of Delaware baseball team, behind a three-run seventh inning rally, defeated North Carolina State 5-4 Sunday afternoon at Doak Field. The win gave UD head coach Jim Sherman his 500th career victory with the Blue Hens.

Sherman joins his mentor, Bob Hannah, as the only head coaches to record 500 wins at the helm of the Blue Hens. Back on March 12, Sherman, a UD alumnus and University of Delaware Hall of Famer, earned his 700th overall victory as a college head coach.

"To be a part of win number 400 and now win number 500 is pretty awesome," catcher Brian Mayer said. "It's an honor to have been a member of both of those milestones. In Delaware history there have been just two coaches to reach that mark, coach Hannah and now coach Sherman." 

Trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh, Delaware (25-20) struck for three runs to take the lead for good and in the process earned a win against the perennial Atlantic Coast Conference contenders in the weekend series and snapped a four-game losing streak.

“I was so proud of our pitching and clutch hitting this afternoon,” Sherman said. “We got contributions from multiple people today and that was important. I thought [James] Meeker giving up the three runs early, but then settling in was tremendous. Then [Burk] FitzPatrick pitching the last four, allowing just one hit, was again tremendous. Today was truly a team victory. Now we head home and have to get healthy for the stretch run of CAA play.”  

After the Blue Hens loaded the bases with nobody out on a pair of walks and a hit batter, outfielder Kyle Baker smacked a single into left field. Later in the inning, shortstop Jeremy Ake legged out an infield hit for the Hens' fifth run of the game. Baker went 2 for 4 with two RBI to lead the offense.

Starter James Meeker gave the Blue Hens five solid innings while reliever Burk FitzPatrick pitched the final four innings, striking out four, to improve his record to 2-0.

The UD win snapped a seven-game winning streak by North Carolina State, which fell to 27-21 on the season.

UD returns home to Bob Hannah Stadium this weekend, hosting Towson for a three-game set with single games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.