CLAYMONT — Anthony Contessa smacked a two-run home run in the first inning, and Caleb Sutton made that stand up with a nine-strikeout performance over 6.2 innings as Red Lion shut out Archmere, 4-0, on May 9.
The Lions, who won their fourth straight, came out swinging against Auks starter Carsten Kaiser. Jay Duncan led off with a triple, and Contessa followed with his shot to left field. Sutton stroked a two-out double, but he was stranded at second. Still, the two runs proved to be enough.
Sutton scattered eight hits on the drizzly afternoon, with Jason Lotkowski accounting for three of them. The Auks had two base runners reach in the fifth, but Sutton induced a fly ball to get out of that inning, and his defense turned a double play on a fly ball in the sixth to get out of a two-on, noboby-out jam.
Kaiser kept the Auks close throughout the game. He retired the Lions in order in the second and got out of a bases-loaded situation in the third. Red Lion added an unearned run in the fourth when Landyn Washington tripled and scored on a throwing error, and Brayden Redmond closed out the scoring in the fifth with a home run to right.
Sutton reached his pitch limit with two outs in the seventh, and Logan Hill entered to close it out.
Contessa reached base three times for the Lions, who improved to 11-5. They are home on May 13 against Glasgow at 3:45 p.m.
Lotkowski was on base four times, and he stole two bases. Kaiser finished with six strikeouts. The Auks (9-6) visit Caesar Rodney on Satuday at noon before finishing the regular season with two games at home next week.
Photos by Mike Lang.
