MILFORD — Milford sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs in a decisive fifth inning in a 7-3 win over Archmere in nonconference baseball on April 6. The Buccanners improved to 4-1 with the win under a comfortable noontime sun on spring break.
The Auks had forged a 3-1 lead in their half of the fourth when Edwin Mousley scored on a wild pitch with two outs. But the Buccaneers’ first eight batters reached in their half, spelling trouble for Archmere.
Evan Gregg was hit by a pitch to open the frame, and the following two hitters walked to load the bases with no outs. Gregg scored on a fielder’s choice, leaving runners at the corners. A wild pitch brought in the second run, and an error allowed another runner to come home. Mason Morris laced a double to right-center field to bring home the inning’s fourth run, and after a walk and a pitching change, James Stangl ended the onslaught with a single.
Archmere had taken a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Andrew MacWilliams led off with a single and took second on a wild pitch. Erik Risnychok followed with a single that dropped just in front of the Bucs’ centerfielder, who threw to third in an unsuccessful attempt to get MacWilliams. Risnychok took second on the throw. Two hard-hit deep fly balls followed, from Mike Mallamaci and Dan Storm, with both ending up as sacrifice flies.
Milford starting pitcher Dale Ostermann allowed just four singles in six innings and was the beneficiary of some fine defense. His centerfielder, Thomas Leighty, made a diving catch to help him out of the fourth, and in the sixth, after Risnychok and Mallamaci reached on back-to-back one-out singles, shortstop Shawn Saxon snared a sharp grounder off the bat of Nick Zhu and turned it into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
The Auks also flashed some leather during the game. With none out and a Bucs up, 1-0, in the first, Morris drove a fly ball deep into foul territory down the left field line. Auks leftfielder Leonard Albanese caught the ball and one-hopped a throw to catcher MacWilliams to double up Sam Sickles, who had knocked in the Bucs’ first run with a double. Albanese also made a tumbling catch to end Milford’s half of the fourth inning.
Risnychok and Mallamaci each had two hits for the Auks, who fell to 1-2. They are back in action Thursday against Conrad at the Red Wolves’ home field at Richey Elementary School. First pitch is at 1 p.m.
Ostermann went six innings, allowing the four hits and striking out two. Aydan Zimmerman retired the Auks in order in the seventh with two strikeouts. Morris was on base all four times he was up, collecting two of his team’s four hits and adding a run batted in and a run scored. The Bucs play Thursday at home against Laurel at 4:15 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
