NEWARK – Delaware Military scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to open up a close game against Archmere, and the Seahawks went on to an 8-3 win in the DIAA baseball tournament opening round on May 23 at Newark National Little League.
Both teams were swinging the bats well in the opening innings, with the Auks, the 24th and final seed in the tournament, getting on the board in the second inning. Luke Kenney doubled to left with one out, moved to third base on a fly ball to right, and scored an an opposite-field double to left by Aiden Pirozek.
It didn’t take long for the No. 9 Seahawks to answer. James Pankowski reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the second, and Colin McLaughlin walked. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners, and John Lednum scored them on a single to left. Auks pitcher Jonathan O’Boyle got out of further trouble when he struck out the next batter, and catcher Hunter Skelton caught Lednum drifting off first for a double play.
The seesaw continued into the third inning. Dylan Thompson reached on an error and was sacrificed to second. O’Boyle was up next, and he drilled a two-run home run to left, putting Archmere back on top. Two more Auks reached base in the inning, but DMA pitcher Charlie Porter escaped further trouble.
Again, the Seahawks responded in their half. With the bases loaded and one out, Pankowski walked in Sammy Diaz to tie the score. The next batter flied out, but a throwing error allowed Hunter DiCarlantonio to come home with the go-ahead run.
Porter and O’Boyle became different pitchers for the next two and a half innings. Porter retired nine of 10 in the fourth, fifth and sixth, allowing just one base runner, that on a walk. O’Boyle retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth.
The Seahawks found their bats in the sixth to pull away. They had runners at second and third when Trevor Leech lofted a fly ball over the left-field fence for a three-run homer. DMA added another run on an RBI single by Kellen Roberts. Porter got two outs in the seventh before reaching his pitch limit, and Ian Fyfe closed out the game.
Porter finished with six strikeouts for the Seahawks. Delaware Military (14-5) will travel to Caesar Rodney on Saturday at noon for a second-round matchup.
For the Auks, O’Boyle had two hits and drove in a pair, and Kenney also had two hits. O’Boyle had five strikeouts on the mound. Archmere finished the season 8-11.
Photos by Mike Lang.
