HOCKESSIN — Luke Filliben went three for three with a home run and three runs batted in, and the Sanford baseball team scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to pull away from St. Elizabeth in an 8-4 victory on April 19.
The Warriors scored single runs in the first and second inning to take a 2-0 lead before the Vikings got their offense going against Sanford starter Brady Bollman. Nick Mancini singled to lead off the third, and an error and a hit batter loaded the bases. A second Sanford error allowed two runs to score, and Chris Reilly singled on a check swing, scoring Luke Trout and giving St. E’s the lead. Justin Bozzo drove in Zach Tolvaisa on a groundout for the fourth run.
With a light rain falling, Sanford got a run back in their half of the third when Filliben skied a ball high over the short porch in right field. The Warriors added another run in the fourth, with a Ryan Timmons groundout knocking in Tyler Goetz.
Bollman and reliever John Malloy quieted the Vikings’ bats after the third, allowing two hits and walking two the rest of the game. St. Elizabeth hurlers Trout and Mancini kept it tied until the sixth.
A one-out double by Goetz got the Warriors going. Timmons followed with a run-scoring double, and he would score on a single by Filliben a few batters later. The other runs scored on a balk and a sacrifice fly.
Trout began the seventh with a double, but Malloy retired the next three batters to earn the win.
Goetz added a pair of hits. Bollman struck out eight in five innings. The Warriors (9-1) will play at Tower Hill on April 23 at 4 p.m.
Justin Bozzo had two singles and an RBI for the Vikings. St. Elizabeth (1-7) hosts Newark Charter at Canby Park on April 23 at 3:45 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
