After trailing by seven runs in the top of the second inning, Delaware rallied back to upend Elon 16-12 in Colonial Athletic Association baseball on Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Hens (29-19, 7-11 CAA), who won their second straight game, overcame an early 8-1 deficit by scoring six runs in the sixth inning and four more in the seventh to complete the comeback and stay in the hunt for one of six berths in the upcoming CAA Tournament.

Delaware redshirt freshman lefthander Conner Chasanov (Polytech), who had pitched just five innings over eight games before Sunday, struck out four of the five Elon batters he faced midway through the game to spark the Hens to the win and clinch the team’s first CAA series victory in nearly a month.

“It was critical that we won this series,” said Delaware coach Jim Sherman. “To start the game, we didn’t look so good giving up eight runs, but the guys never died. We got some critical at-bats and we got some great pitching. Conner Chasanov was the star of the game. He came in, got four strikeouts, and really settled us down. He gave us a chance to come back.”

Elon (24-25, 13-10 CAA) held a 10-4 advantage in the fourth before the Hens scored twice in the fourth inning and six times in the sixth to take a 12-10 lead. The Phoenix responded with two runs in the seventh to tie it, but the Hens answered with four runs in the seventh to re-take the lead for good.

Delaware right fielder Kyle Baker, second baseman Jeremy Ake, and designated hitter Doug Trimble each knocked in three runs to lead the offensive explosion.

Chasanov entered the game with one out and two on in the fifth and UD trailing 10-6, but he struck out the final two batters to end the threat. He then set Elon down in the sixth, once again striking out the final two hitters. The Hens then exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to take their first lead.

Delaware, which heads to Towson for a three-game set next weekend, is just one game behind Towson, College of Charleston, and James Madison for fifth place in the CAA standings. The top six advance to the tournament May 25-28 at the College of Charleston.

DelState earns split: Freshman Sean McGrath tossed a three-hit complete game and Austin Bentley drove in three runs to lead Delaware State to a 7-1 win over UMES in the second game of a MEAC North doubleheader.

UMES won the first game 12-7, although the Hornets (13-34 overal;, 13-10 MEAC) took two of the three games in the weekend series.

In the seven-inning nightcap, McGrath (4-5) did not allow a hit after the fourth inning, while striking out seven and walking one to notch his team-best fourth win.

After the Hawks tied the score at 1-1 with a run in the fourth, Delaware Sate answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to take control of the game. Bentley singled in his second and third runs of the game to give the Hornets a 6-1 lead, while Devin Beverly also had a run-scoring hit in the inning.

Darnel Maisonet was 3-for-3 and scored three runs in the nightcap. He had eight hits in 11 at-bats (.727) in the series.

Football

Bengals sign Dover’s Thurman: Dover High grad Trip Thurman took the next step in his bid to make an NFL roster when the Cincinnati Bengals signed him to a free-agent contract on Sunday.

Thurman signed with the Bengals after attending their rookie camp this weekend. Cincinnati likes Thurman’s versatility after he played a number of positions on the offensive line at Florida.

The 6-foot-5, 307-pound Thurman is one of 17 undrafted rookie free agents signed by the Bengals.

College softball

DSU stretches winning streak: Delaware extended its winning streak to 13 games in a row with an 8-0, 11-3 sweep of Rider on Sunday.

The Hornets (27-16) go into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament, which starts on Thursday in Ormond Beach, Flordia., as the No. 1 overall seed for the second time in three seasons, DSU is seeking its first MEAC Tournament crown since 2008.

In the opener against Rider, outfielder Nicole Gazzola went 4-for-4 and scored three runs. Gazzola also added a pair of stolen bases to become only the second Hornet with 100 in her career.

Catcher Sandy Hawthorne went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs scored and a double. Winning pitcher Nicole Brock (12-5) surrendered pm;y four hits and a walk to secure her second shutout of the season.

Sabrina Quarles tallied a game-high four RBI in the nightcap.

College track & field

Wesley teams take second: Wesley College had two team relay wins and several individual top-five finishes on the women’s side and three individual winners on the men’s side as the Wolverines took second in the Salisbury rumble.

For the Wesley women, Quadira Minus took second in the 100 meters with a 13.00 finish while Dieunise Desir finished second in the 800 with a 2:15.00. The Wesley 1,600 relay team of Angel Hall, Elizsha Streeter, Briana Artis and Minus took first with a 3:48.19 finish.

Evelina Sloboh and Alexia Mitchell joined Streeter and Hall to take first in the 400 with a 47.81. In the field, Kaylah Mitchell took second in the long jump and the triple jump with respective marks of 4.75 and 10.68 meters. Jourdyn Beverly placed second in the shot with a 11.74-meter hurl, third in the hammer with a mark of 35.35 and first in the discus throwing 36.30.

For the men, Greg Taylor won the 100 with an 11.00 while Anthony Simpson took the 200 with a 22.00. Nick Stenderowicz (49.95) and Vicco Bedell (50.56) took third and fourth respectively in the 400 while Roland Attoh-Okine posted a 15.08 to take second in the 110 hurdles. Wesley’s 400m relay team took first as Simpson, DaJahn Lowery, Taylor, and De’Vaughn Trader combined for a mark of 40.89. Trader also took first in the long jump with a mark of 6.58 meters.