NEWARK, Del. – William & Mary baseball (19-8, 3-2 CAA) fell in just its second conference game Saturday as Delaware (13-12, 2-3 CAA) evened up the series at a game apiece with a 5-3 victory.

The Tribe fell just shy of the late comeback after a no-out, two-run home run from Joe Delossantos in the ninth inning to cut the deficit to two runs.

Despite fanning 13 Hens and holding the host team to just four hits, Delaware managed five runs to knot up both the weekend, 1-1, and the all-time series between the teams, 36-36.

The Tribe offense, which combined for 12 hits and nine runs just a day earlier, strung together six hits and three runs in Saturday's contest. 

With a 2-3 game, Ben Parker ticked up his average to a .382 clip through 102 at-bats on the year. A pair of stolen bags and two runs on the day, Parker was a consistent threat on the basepath to the Blue Hens.

Reed Interdonato tied his season high seven strikeouts in just 3.0 innings of work. He allowed only one hit, a run and a walk in his outing.

Closing the game for the Green & Gold, Nick Lottchea tossed a perfect frame in the bottom of the eighth, tallying the Tribe's final strikeout of the day in his third scoreless appearance of the year.

Getting up early in the game, Parker's ninth stolen bag put him in scoring position and Jerry Barnes III drove in the Tribe's first run of the game on a single in the top of the first. 

Zack Potts, who has been remarkable for the Tribe all year, was credited with his first loss in the Green and Gold after Delaware took the lead early in the game. Over his 4.0 innings, Potts caught five Blue Hens looking.

Delaware took its first lead of the series in the second inning on a two-run single as they scratched across four runs in the opening two frames. Back-to-back scoreless innings from Potts ended his outing to hold the score at 4-1.

In a quiet game across the middle innings for the Tribe, the Hens added their final run on an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth. 

As Parker ripped a single to right-center field to lead off the ninth and Delossantos knocked a two-run bomb out of the park for his seventh of the year, the Tribe looked to put together a comeback bid. Delaware managed the final three outs without another run to seal the game at 5-3.

The Tribe will return to Bob Hannah Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. in search of their second consecutive conference series win and sixth-straight weekend series victory.

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