Home Local Sports Sussex Tech rules in battle of baseball unbeatens, defeats Salesianum, 11-1: Photo...

Sussex Tech rules in battle of baseball unbeatens, defeats Salesianum, 11-1: Photo gallery

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A Sals runner is forced at second base in the team's game against Sussex Tech. Dialog photo/Jason Winchell

WILMINGTON — Mama said there’d be days like this. For the Salesianum baseball team, that day was April 10. Sussex Tech had six hits, and they also took advantage of 14 walks and two hit batsmen in an 11-1 win in a matchup of two teams that were undefeated coming into the afternoon.

The game was originally scheduled for Frawley Stadium, but it was moved to Salesianum after overnight rains in Delaware.

Sallies struck first, scoring their lone run in the second. Zach Czarnecki opened with a double, and he was sacrificed to third. After a fly ball for the second out, Luke Swift doubled to deep right field to make it 1-0.

After four of their first six batters struck out, the Ravens put multiple runners on in the third. The Sals, however, escaped any damage by getting all three outs on fielder’s choices. The home team was not as fortunate in the fourth.

Jason Shockley opened the fourth with a walk, and Jonathan Stokley followed with a single. An error on a ground ball allowed Jaryn Sample to reach, loading the bases. Grant Allen was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run, and Landon Ruark walked to bring a second run home. Salesianum starter Aidan O’Brien escaped further damage with two strikeouts sandwiched around a foul popup.

Tech did major damage in the fifth, sending 12 batters to the plate on the way to scoring six runs. Conor Ellingsworth led off with a double to deep center field that just escaped the grasp of Sals outfielder Brian Lang, who leaped to catch the ball but had it pop out of his glove when he hit the ground.

An intentional walk followed, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Stokley was put on intentionally to load the bases, and the Sals brought in Deuce Rzucidlo from third base as a relief pitcher. An error allowed the first run of the inning to score, and the bases remained loaded. A sacrifice fly and fielder’s choice brought runs home, as did a single by Alex Adams. By the time the third out was recorded, it was 8-1.

The Ravens finished up the scoring in the seventh. Allen drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk, and Ruark picked up his third and fourth runs batted in of the afternoon on a single.

Ruark was on base all five times he was up, collecting two hits and two walks and reaching also on a fielder’s choice. Three others reached safely four times. Shockley and Stokley each scored three times. Allen had three RBI and was also the winning pitcher. He allowed just four hits and at one point retired nine straight batters. The Ravens improved to 5-0 and host Delmarva Christian on Monday at 4 p.m.

Lang and Rzucidlo each reached base twice for the Sals. The team fell to 3-1; they travel to Newark on Monday at 4 p.m.

All photos by Jason Winchell.