Home Local Sports Saint Mark’s builds big lead, holds off Salesianum for 6-4 triumph at...

Saint Mark’s builds big lead, holds off Salesianum for 6-4 triumph at Frawley Stadium

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Garrett Quinn, batting for Saint Mark's, had two hits and scored a run. He also pitched 1.2 innings in relief. Photo courtesy of Nick Halliday.

WILMINGTON — Christian Colmery pitched five-plus innings of two-hit baseball, and Reid Dalton had two hits and three runs batted in as Saint Mark’s held off Salesianum, 6-4, at Frawley Stadium on a chilly April 15. The Spartans, ranked first in the state by Delaware Live/302Sports, remained undefeated on the season.

Colmery did not give up a hit until Sallies’ Zach Czarnecki and Conor Campbell reached on back-to-back singles with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Colmery got out of trouble, however, getting Ryan James to fly out to rightfielder Dan Keane to end the inning.

The Sals’ baserunners prior to the fourth reached on an error, two hit batsmen and a walk. The Spartans, however, stayed out of trouble as Colmery struck out the side in the first and, after two strikeouts to open the second, a Salesianum runner was caught stealing. With two runners on in the third, a fly ball to center ended any threat.

Offensively, the Spartans scratched out single runs in both the second and fourth innings against Sals lefty Brody Valentine. Keane singled with one out and stole second as the runner ahead of him was thrown out attempting to steal third. Dalton punched a two-out single just over the infield into right, and Keane was able to beat the throw home for the 1-0 lead.

They added another in the fourth. Hayden Fauerbach singled with one out, and Michael Clarke walked. Fauerbach advanced on a passed ball, and after a strikeout, Dalton came through again, singling to center to drive in Fauerbach.

The Spartans tacked on four runs in their half of the fifth as they sent 10 men to the plate. Three consecutive singles brought in the first run as Ben Anderson drove in Jaden Todd. Anderson stole second, and Fauerbach was walked intentionally to load the bases. Garrett Quinn came home on an error, and a single by Keane brought in the third run of the inning. After a pitching change, Dalton followed with a sacrifice fly to right, increasing the Spartans’ lead to 6-0.

Salesianum, ranked sixth by Delaware Live/302Sports, finally got to Colmery in the sixth. A fielder’s choice put Ben Venema at first with one out, and Czarnecki walked. Quinn relieved Colmery, and Campbell greeted him with an opposite-field double, scoring Venema. Aidan O’Brien followed with another opposite-field double — this one just inside the left field foul line — and two more Sals scored. O’Brien took third on a wild pitch, and he came home on an infield single from Brian Lang.

Deuce Rzucidlo walked to open the bottom of the seventh, but Quinn retired the next three Sals on called strikes to shut the door.

Quinn went two for four with a run scored, and Fauerbach was on base three times, scoring twice. The Spartans finished with nine hits. Colmery finished with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings, and Quinn set down four more Sals on strikes in his 1.2 innings in relief. The Spartans (7-0) are back on the road Friday at William Penn at 4 p.m.

For the Sals, Campbell was on base all three times he was up, collecting two of his team’s six hits, a run scored and a run batted in. Valentine had five strikeouts, and O’Brien added three more. Salesianum (4-2) will visit Cape Henlopen on Monday at 4:15 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Nick Halliday.