WILMINGTON, N.C. --- Delaware's Ron Marinaccio threw a complete-game shutout, and held the College of Charleston baseball team to just two hits as the Blue Hens defeated the Cougars, 9-0, in the opening game of the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The setback drops College of Charleston (26-30) into the loser's bracket, while Delaware (31-21) advances to take on top-seeded Northeastern. The Cougars will face the loser of William & Mary and Elon in an elimination game on Thursday at a time to be determined.
 
Dupree Hart (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Tommy Richter (Wayne, Pa.) each recorded a single, while Luke Manzo (Marietta, Ga.) drew a walk to account for the Cougars' three baserunners in the contest. Evan Sisk (Chester, S.C.) went four and two-third innings, allowing five runs on six hits and struck out one to take the loss. Carter Love (Charlotte, N.C.) recorded the final out of the fifth, as Justin Baker (Huntersville, N.C.), Griffin McLarty (Buckner, Ky.), and Will Detwiler (Camden, S.C.) each threw one inning.
 
Jeremy Ake went 3-for-4 with two RBI's to pace the Delaware offense, as seven Blue Hens drove in at least one run. Doug Trimble plated two, while Jordan Glover and Diaz Nardo each picked up two hits. Marinaccio spun a complete-game two-hitter, did not allow a runner past first, and struck out five to earn his fourth win of the season.
 
Richter and Bradley Dixon (Greenwood, S.C.) made several stellar plays in the field, including a superb diving catch by Dixon in the fourth to rob Nick Patten of a base hit. The Blue Hens opened the scoring with a pair of two-out runs in the fourth, before a three-run fifth pushed the lead to 5-0. Delaware would add one in the seventh and three in the eighth to equal the final margin of 9-0.
 
The fifth-seeded Cougars will face the loser of No. 3 seed William & Mary and No. 6 seed Elon on Thursday at a time to be determined. The Tribe and Phoenix are slated to take the diamond on Wednesday evening at 8:00 pm, weather permitting.