NEWARK, Dela. - Junior pinch hitter Chris Nehl’s lead off homer in the bottom of the eighth lifted Delaware to a 14-13 win over No. 29 UNC Wilmington in the opener of a Colonial Athletic Association series opener Friday at Hannah Stadium.

The Blue Hens improved to 13-22 overall and 6-10 in the conference. The Seahawks suffered just their second conference loss of the season and fell to 16-2-1 in the circuit and 27-8-1 on the season. UNCW also dropped its first 1-run game of the season and now stands at 8-1 in those games.

UD freshman reliever Michael Londino moved to 1-3 despite blowing a save opportunity, allowing one run on three hits in one inning of work.

Freshman reliever Cameron Roth (3-1), who made his first appearance since Apr. 6 at Northeastern, dropped his first decision of the season after allowing three runs, one earned, in two innings of relief.

Seniors Daniel Hargrave, Jason Appel and Nate Hall led a 16-hit attack for the Seahawks with three hits apiece.

Ryan Cuneo drove in five runs for the Blue Hens on the strength of two hits. Blue Hen hitter drew seven walks against the UNCW pitching staff on the afternoon.

Carver, who finished 2-for-3 and scored three runs, drilled a 3-run home run, his 13th of the season, to right to give UNCW a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Sophomore Bobby Leeper and Hargrave scored in the blast after reaching base with a single and double, respectively.

In the second, Appel cleared the bases with a 2-out bases loaded triple to the right center field gap.

The Blue Hens quickly got back into the game on a pair of home runs off UNCW sophomore starter Seth Frankoff in the bottom of the second. Olson lifted a 2-run home to left and Davis hit a 3-run shot to right later in the inning.

Despite being staked to a 10-6 lead, Frankoff didn’t figure in the decision after allowing career-highs of nine hits and nine runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Hall launched his ninth home run of the season to leadoff the third as UNCW moved to a 7-5 lead.

Frankoff was his own worse enemy in the third hitting two batters and throwing a bases loaded wild pitch as UD narrowed its deficit to 7-6 without the benefit of a hit in the inning.

Hargrave gave UNCW an 8-6 lead with a 2-out homer to left in the top of the fourth.

UNCW added to its lead with two runs in the fifth to make it 10-6. Freshman Cody Stanley plated the first run with a single through the right side and Hall scored on a ground ball double play later in the inning.

After going scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, UD broke through again against Frankoff. The Blue Hens loaded the bases with two outs and Cuneo knocked Frankoff out of the game with a single through the box to score two and make it 10-8. Junior Ryan Reed met UNCW senior reliever Allen Flood with a RBI single to right to make it 10-9.

UNCW sophomore Mike Rooney got one of the runs back in the top of the seventh when he delivered a two-out double down the left field line.

Flood blew UNCW’s 2-run lead in the bottom of the seventh after walking the first two batters he saw. Freshman reliever Cameron Roth walked junior Kyle Davis to load the bases. Roth fanned senior Adam Tsakonas and retired junior Alex Buchholz on a foul out to first. Junior Scott Shockley rolled a ground ball to the right side, but Carver was unable to come up with it and UD narrowed it to 11-10. Cuneo dropped in bloop hit down the right field line for a triple to score three and give the Blue Hens a 13-11 lead.

Hargrave’s second homer of the afternoon moved UNCW to within 13-12 leading off the eighth. Senior Justin Barefoot singled inside the third base bag to score Carver and tied the game at 13-all.

Senior David Slovak retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save of the season.

The two teams continue the series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. start.

Notes: With two home runs, Daniel Hargrave became moved into second-place all-time at UNCW with 33 career homers … Hargrave also moved into third all-time with 370 total bases … Allen Flood has allowed 13-of-24 inherited runners to score this season … Bobby Leeper’s single in the first inning extended his career-long hitting streak to nine games.  - Courtesy UNCW Sports Information / Photo: Eric Bartsch