WILMINGTON – Salesianum picked up five hits, but four of them came in the fifth inning, when they pulled away from Indian River for a 7-1 win on the afternoon of April 21 at Father Kenney Diamond at Fusco Fields.
The Sals returned home after a win over the weekend at Middletown. That was the 200th for coach Ted Godfrey, who started on his third hundred on a cool, overcast afternoon.
The pitchers and defense ruled most of the game. James Bujnowski was on the hill for the Sals, and he allowed just two hits and a walk in each of the first two innings and a single in the third and fourth. His counterpart for Indian River, Landon Fiels, was nearly as good.
The Sals scored in the first without a hit. Brooks O’Hanlon walked to start the frame and stole second. He took third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt McSorley.
Salesianum had just one hit through the first three innings, but McSorley singled to left to begin the fourth. After Fiels retired the next two hitters, Tai Wu was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, and McSorley scored on a wild pitch. The Indians appeared to escape further damage, but a fielding error allowed Wu to come home to make the score 3-0.
Chase Ruley knocked in IR’s lone run in the fifth with a single to right field, but the Indians stranded two runners when the Sals’ Cole Graham tracked down a fly ball to deep center field.
The Sals began the fifth with consecutive bunt hits, but after a fly ball and a caught stealing, O’Hanlon was on third with two outs. McSorley walked, and Jude Swift brought both of them home with a double to left center. Bujnowski singled off relief pitcher Trey Hill to score Swift, and he stole second. Wu reached on an infield single, and Bujnowski came around to score on a throwing error.
Aidan Moore came in to pitch for the Sals in the sixth. He retired six of the seven Indians he faced, walking one with two outs in the seventh and striking out two.
O’Hanlon was on base three times, stealing two bases and scoring twice. McSorley was on twice and scored both times. Bujnowski allowed five singles and struck out four. Salesianum (6-2) is on the road Tuesday afternoon at Dover at 4:15.
Fiels and Hill combined to allow five hits and struck out four. The Indians (8-3) will play Sussex Tech on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Sports at the Beach in Georgetown.
Photos by Mike Lang.
