Trinity Collegiate blanks Hannah-Pamplico
By Don Gearhart
The Titans from Trinity Collegiate were not gracious hosts to the Red Raiders from Hannah-Pamplico as they shut down their visiting opponents in a 10-run rule that ended with the Titans on top in a 10-0 whitewash.
Neither team managed a scoring threat in the first inning. After the Red Raiders wasted a one out base-on-balls in the top of the second, Trinity Collegiate went to work. With one out, Tanner Hall lined a single to left field. He advanced to second base when Tucker Galloway worked a walk, then stole third base and scored the first run of the game when Nicholas Romanoli lofted a sacrifice RBI flyball to left. Galloway moved up to second base on a passed ball but was stranded there with the Titans nursing a 1-0 lead.
The Red Raiders had nothing to show in their half of the third inning. Trinity Collegiate, however, did not waste any time adding to their lead when Cam Jordan led off the bottom of the third with an odd bounce triple to right field.
Dalton Moody drove him in to score with his second hit of the night. Garrett Keen walked, then both runners moved up on a double steal. Hall’s sacrifice fly to left enabled Moody to score making it 3-0 Titans and giving pitcher, Hunter White, a little breathing room.
White cruised through the Red Raider lineup in the top or he fourth inning and the Titans went right back to work. With one out, Dewsy Meadows ripped a base hit and advanced to second on a wild pitch then stole third base.
Bennett Meadows worked a base-on-balls. The brothers executed a perfect double steal as the throw to second was cut off but the throw to home could not catch the sliding Dewsy Meadows. Jordan collected his third hit to move Bennett Meadows to third. If it worked once, why not try it again. The Titans did just that by executing to double steal enabling Meadows to score and Jordan somehow avoided the tag at second on the play. He advanced to third on a groundout to first setting the stage for Moody to get his third hit and second RBI. Now the Titans doubled their lead to 6-0 after four innings.
The Red Raiders were able to get a runner on base in the fifth. Their efforts were for naught when Jordan made a sparkling play to cut off a base hit through the hole and turn it into a force out at second. The Titans fifth was the only inning all night where they did not get a baserunner.
Hannah-Pamplico, with one out in the top of the sixth, got a baserunner aboard when an errant pitch hit the batter. The next batter hit a fielder’s choice to second but both runners were safe when the force out at second was just a little late. One out later, White was replaced on the mound by Dewsy Meadows.
He walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but, struck out the next batter to end the threat. The Meadows brothers led of the Titans sixth with consecutive walks. Jordan drove home Dewsy with his fourth hit of the game, then both Bennett Meadows and Jordan raced home on Moody’s fourth hit, a ringing double to the fence. Keen walked then Moody and Keen crossed the plate when Hall blasted a walk-off double to left-center. That concluded the game with the Titans winning 10-0.
With four hits apiece, Jordan and Moody had eight of the Titans’ hits. Hall and Dewsy Meadows, each with two hits, had the remainder of hits. Hall and Moody each drove in three runs. White was the winning pitcher, giving up only two hits while striking out two and walking two along the way.
A “shout out” to Coach Mike Rogers who won his 200th varsity game the night before against Camden Military. With the win, Trinity Collegiate is almost assured of an at-large playoff berth. They will go after their 20th win of the season Friday night against Providence Home School.