GREENVILLE — St. Elizabeth scored three times in the top of the first inning and never looked back, taking an 8-1 victory at Tatnall on April 3. The bats were plenty to support starting pitcher Ben Campbell, who scattered three hits and came within a strike of a complete game.
St. Elizabeth wasted no time in going after Hornets starter Logan Travers. Luke Trout singled and scored on a double by Eric O’Neill. Courtesy runner Jihad Brown came home when Jimmy Garrett doubled, and Garrett wasn’t far behind, taking third base on a steal and continuing home when the throw went into shallow left field.
Campbell got the offense started in the third, when the Vikings doubled their lead. He singled and stole second, scoring when Dustin Green singled to left-center. Green took second on the throw, was balked to third, then scored on Trout’s second hit of the afternoon.
St. Elizabeth added its final two runs in the fourth. Campbell got things started again with a leadoff infield single. He stole second and scored when Green singled to left. Green eventually reached third and was knocked in on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jackson Davis.
Campbell was as good on the mound as he was at the plate. He retired the first nine batters he faced in order, four of them on strikeouts and none getting the ball out of the infield. Tatnall’s first hit was a single by Michael McGinley, but he was erased on a double play. The next two batters reached, but a groundout ended the threat.
One Hornet reached base in each of the fifth and sixth innings, and Campbell took the mound for the seventh in search of the complete game. He retired the first two batters, but a single just behind the infield on the right side by Justin Marvel ended Campbell’s day on the hill as he reached the pitch limit.
Green relieved Campbell, and the Hornets loaded the bases on an error and a single. Tatnall’s runner at first, Kaleb Kain, strayed too far off first base during the next at bat, and he got caught in a rundown. Marvel scored before Kain was tagged out, ending the shutout bid for the Vikings.
Campbell finished with six strikeouts. At the plate, he had two hits, as did Trout, Green and Garrett. The Vikings (2-3) play Odyssey Charter on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Rockford Park.
Tatnall (0-2) travels to Wilmington Friends on Tuesday, also at 4 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
