Dialog reporter
MILLTOWN – St. Mark’s passed a late-season test Friday afternoon when the Spartans, led by junior lefty Andrew Reich, posted a 10-0 six-inning shutout of Dover in a battle of two of Delaware’s best high school baseball teams.
Reich was spectacular, allowing just one hit while striking out 11. He battled back after hitting the first two batters of the third inning, striking out the next two Senators and getting the final out on a ground ball to first.
Offensively, St. Mark’s steadily pulled away from Dover, scoring in five of the six innings to end this one early. Reich was in the middle of the offense as well, doubling in a run in the first, then scoring on a single by Jake Gilardi as the Spartans got off to a 2-0 lead. Reich knocked in another run in the second, as his two-out single over the head of the Senators’ first baseman plated John Panico.
The Spartans added a pair of runs in the fourth on a single by Peter Berardi. He knocked in Jude Spagnolo and Panico, both of whom had singled.
Reich and Berardi each had three hits for St. Mark’s, which improved to 14-3. The Spartans play their final regular-season game Saturday afternoon at home vs. Cape Henlopen at 1, then will wait for the playoff brackets to be released next week.
The loss ended Dover’s regular season at 14-4, but the Senators will be among those playing in the postseason.
