Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Salesianum shut down Sussex Tech’s potent offense and broke open a close game with five runs in the fifth inning in a 8-4 nonconference baseball win on April 18 at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington. It was the first of a pair of games for the Sals on the day; they defeated St. Mark’s in the nightcap.
The Sals, who were the visiting team despite playing just a few miles from their Broom Street campus, did not waste any time getting on the board. Walks to Josh Maguire and John Andreoli, followed by an error, loaded the bases with no outs. Tech starter Brady Parks struck out Joe Setting, but Zach Gwynn followed with a single to left field that scored two runs. Parks settled down after that, and the Sals would not score again until the fifth.
The Ravens, meanwhile, did not pick up their first run until the fourth, which is also when they managed their first hit of Sallies starting pitcher Gene Holler. Luke Oliphant opened the inning with his second walk and was sacrificed to second. He scored when Anthony Hitchcock singled up the middle.
Sussex Tech took a brief lead in the next inning. Dustin Rolph singled to right field with one out. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Oliphant put runners at the corners with two outs. Courtesy runner Trey Hatfield came home on a balk, and Hitchcock’s double brought home Oliphant.
The Sals picked up six hits, batted around and put the game away in the next half inning. Zach Miller led off with a single, and a triple off the bat of Joe Setting past a diving Oliphant brought him home. Gwynn followed with an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop, scoring Setting for Gwynn’s third run batted in of the afternoon. Garrett Million reached on a fielder’s choice, and he scored when Alex Hinton slammed a triple to the gap in right-center. Joe Poma’s single scored Hinton. Poma stole second, was sacrificed to third and scored on a single by Maguire.
All told, the Sals collected six of their 12 hits in that fifth inning; Gwynn finished with four RBI. Jack Fiala, who relieved Holler in the fourth, picked up the win for Salesianum. The Sals are off until Saturday, when Mount St. Michael (N.Y.) visits for a noon start.
The Ravens lost for the second straight game after opening the season with seven consecutive wins. They travel to Middletown on Monday at 3:45 p.m.
