CLAYMONT — Salesianum’s Jack Rossi and Sanford’s Brady Fox put on a show on the mound on May 17, with Rossi just slightly better. The Sals’ senior no-hit the Warriors at Dyer Field on Senior Day, and Salesianum closed out the regular season with a 3-0 shutout victory.
It was a rematch of last year’s second-round DIAA tournament matchup, won by the Sals, 1-0. Rossi and Fox dueled in that one as well, surrendering a combined four hits between them.
The Sals scored twice in the bottom of the first against Fox this time around without a hit, and that was more than enough for Rossi. Matt Speicher walked and was bunted to second, and he stole third. Jimmy Gray grounded to second, and Speicher beat the throw home for the first run. Gray stole second and moved to third on a groundout. When the throw to third skipped past the third baseman, Gray went home, beating the tag with a head-first slide.
Rossi struck out the side in the second and two more in the third, and he mowed Sanford down in order in both the fourth and fifth innings as well. When Alex Gannon walked to open the sixth, it ended a streak of 13 consecutive batters retired by Rossi. Fox walked with one out, putting runners at first and second, but Rossi got Cole Ruhland to ground into a 1-6-3 double play to end the threat.
Fox was nearly as good for the Warriors. He retired the last two batters of the first, then got the next eight before he hit Luke Steinrock with a pitch. Rossi singled, but Fox picked up a strikeout to end the fourth.
Salesianum added a run in the sixth. Gray doubled down the first-base line, and he advanced to third and scored on wild pitches. Rossi had some work to do in the seventh. Luke Filliben flied out to deep center field before Brady Boltman reached on an error. After a strikeout, Owen Barlow hit a humpback line drive to second, where Michael Gioia was waiting to squeeze it.
Rossi finished with 10 strikeouts. Salesianum finished the regular season 11-7. Fox had 11 strikeouts. The Warriors had their 12-game winning streak snapped; they ended the regular season with a record of 16-2. The teams will learn their seeds and state tournament opponents on the evening of May 18.
Photos by Mike Lang.
