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Austin Elliott (2018, North Carolina) struck out 11 hitters in 6.1 innings of work as Cape Henlopen scored six runs in the third through fifth innings en route to a 7-3 victory over Indian River on Thursday afternoon.

The game started out scoreless through two innings as Elliott and his counterpart, JJ Killen for Indian River, went pitch for pitch keeping each offense at bay. Things began to change heading to the third inning. Cape would open up the scoring that inning after Timmy Vitella led off the inning reaching on an error and Zack Gelof (2018, Virginia) reached via a walk. No. 2 hitter, Jake Gelof laid down a sac bunt to advance both runners. An errant throw to first on the play would score Vitella and send the Gelof brothers to second and third. After a strikeout, Zach Dale would send a deep fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly to get their second run of the inning and the 2-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, Cape would again strike in the top half of the fourth inning. After two quick out to begin the frame, Cape would have the next five hitter reach base, highlighted by an RBI single from Zack Gelof and then a 2-RBI double from younger brother Jake. Cape Henlopen grabbed a 5-0 lead.

Cape Henlopen would add an insurance run in the fifth inning from an RBI sac fly off the bat of David Erickson (2018, Liberty), then add another run on a solo home run by Dale to leadoff the seventh to get their seven runs.

Elliott cruised in the game on the mound, using a steady diet of his breaking ball to offset a fastball that was up to 90 mph throughout the game. He struck out 10 of his 11 through five innings striking out the side in the second.

Indian River made things interesting in the seventh, loading the bases after Elliott's day was done due to pitch count after two singles with one out. Zack Gelof would come in relef and Indian River would get their next three hitters to reach base after a walk and back-to-back singles making it's a 7-3 score with the bases loaded still. Gelof got into his groove then, striking out the next two hitters to end the ballgame and seal the Vikings victory.

Elliott's final line was: 6.1IP, 4H, 3R (2ER), 11 K, 2 BB. Zack Gelof was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Luke Johnson went 2-for-4 and Jake Gelof and Dale each had two RBI apiece.

Jacob Anderson led the Indian River attack going 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI.

With the win Cape Henlopen improves to 10-1 on the season and travel to Maryland this Saturday to face Riverdale Baptist.