NEWARK, Del. (Interstat) — The Delaware Blue Hens capitalized on a fast start and weathered a late rally to defeat the La Salle Explorers 8-4 in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday evening at Bob Hannah Stadium.

The victory snapped a five-game losing skid for Delaware, which improved to 2-7. La Salle, which had won five of its first six, fell to 5-2.

The game’s pivotal sequence came early, as Delaware erased a four-run deficit before an out was recorded. The Explorers were gifted their runs in the top of the first inning without a hit, as a combination of walks, a hit batter and a defensive miscue forced all four runs across. La Salle’s first three batters were then retired in order, leaving the bases loaded.

The Blue Hens responded immediately in the bottom half, scoring three times to cut the lead to one. Elijah Bouldin drove in the first run with a double, Jeremy Wolf followed with an RBI single and later scored on a single by Hunter Carr.

Delaware tied the game in the second inning when Nick Burroughs tripled home Mason Minckler, who had singled and advanced on a stolen base and a balk. The Blue Hens took their first lead in the third. With Matt DeStefanis now pitching for La Salle, a walk, a hit batter and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases for Shawn Winsett, whose single to center brought home Logan Cockrill for a 5-4 advantage.

That slim lead was protected masterfully by Delaware reliever Ryan McLaughlin, who was the top star for the Blue Hens. Entering to start the second inning, McLaughlin silenced the Explorers’ bats over three perfect frames, striking out three. His outing provided crucial stability after a chaotic first inning and allowed Delaware’s offense to build its lead.

The Blue Hens added insurance in the fifth when Wolf launched a solo home run to left-center field off reliever Dylan Edwardi, making it 6-4. They extended the lead to 8-4 with two runs in the seventh, featuring an RBI single from Aidan Charles and a double-steal that saw Carr swipe home.

La Salle, held to just two hits through seven innings, finally broke through again in the eighth against reliever Ben Moyzan. With two on, Rueben Livingston connected for a three-run home run to left field, his first of the season, suddenly pulling the Explorers back within four runs and accounting for all of their RBI in the game.

The Explorers threatened again in the ninth, putting two runners in scoring position with one out against Andrew Callaway, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the game.

Wolf led Delaware’s 10-hit attack, going 2 for 2 with the home run, two RBIs, three runs scored and two walks. Charles added two hits and an RBI. La Salle managed only five hits, with Livingston’s home run representing their only extra-base hit.

Following McLaughlin, the Delaware bullpen of Jake Pollaro, Moyzan and Callaway combined to allow four runs over the final five innings to secure the win. For La Salle, relievers Christopher Gist and Marco Levari each tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

The result marked Delaware’s second win over La Salle in six days, having also won 6-4 last Tuesday. The game defied pregame projections; Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 6-2 La Salle victory, though its ELO system gave Delaware a 66.4% probability to win.