Heeeee's out! Delphi's Dustin Salyer is tagged out at home in the first inning at home against Rossville. The Oracles went on to defeat the Hornets 13-3. Bill Stauffer photo After the first full week of the young season, the Delphi baseball team continues to turn some heads and earn some respect after improving its record to 4-1 with a 13-3 win over Rossville and a doubleheader sweep of Fountain Central, 7-4 and 6-1.

On the heels of last season's success and their fast start to this year, the Oracles have received enough votes to secure the State's Class 2A #11 ranking in this week's Indiana High School Baseball CoachesAssociation poll, even after suffering a defeat last Thursday to Lewis Cass, 9-5.

Vs. Rossville

Against Rossville on Wednesday, Delphi again used a big inning early to take control of the contest, this time with nine runs in the bottom of the 3rd to extend its lead to 12-0 after three complete innings.

The Hornets committed four errors and walked five in the marathon 3rd as the Oracles sent 14 batters to the plate, highlighted by Tanner Cripe's 2-run double and Neil Snoeberger's RBI single. These were Delphi's only two hits in the inning full of miscues.

Dustin Salyer led off the game with a triple and added a double in his next at-bat in the bottom of the 2nd to lead the Oracles 8-hit attack en route to the 6 inning victory by the 10-run rule.

Tyler Willis (1-0) allowed only three hits and struck out four to earn the victory on the mound.

Vs. Fountain Central

In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Fountain Central, Delphi again jumped in front early, scoring two runs in its first atbat and four more in the 2nd inning to take a 6-0 lead that it would not relinquish.

Again, much of the offense was due to its opponent's blunders as the Mustangs hit four batters, walked three and committed three errors in the first two innings of the game. The Oracles did much of their damage on only two hits, an RBI single from Snoeberger and a single from Ralph Overman during the rally.

Dayton Rumell, Salyer and Cripe added singles to the 5- hit attack, while Snoeberger (1-0) went six innings, striking out five and allowing only two runs to earn the win on the hill.

In the second game, which was Delphi's fifth straight at home to open the season, the Oracles took an early lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Two passed balls and a wild pitch allowed Rumell to cross the plate following his bases on balls as Fountain Central again walked five, hit two batters and committed two errors in the contest to continue to put itself in disadvantageous situations.

Delphi, who never trailed in the contest, scored two in the 4th and three more in the 5th to put the game out of reach, led by a 2-run single from Cripe and RBI singles from both Snoeberger and A.J. Beckett, who was the lone Oracle with two hits in the game.

Cripe (1-0) pitched a complete game, striking out three and allowing only one earned run to earn the win.

Vs. Lewis Cass

Against Cass, the Oracles played like their opponents had to date, allowing eight runs in the first two innings while committing four errors. They included an infield error on the lead-off batter, another on a pick-off play on the second batter to set the tone early, followed by a dropped routine fly ball to the outfield, then a fourth again on the lead-off batter in the 2nd to add insult to injury, with only two earned runs allowed.

Delphi did rally to score five runs in the 4th inning following a King pitching change, led by an RBI double from Snoeberger, an RBI single from Shane Hyman and singles from both Salyer and Overman.

Cripe later added a double to account for the five Oracle hits.

Tomorrow's game at 4:30 p.m. at Class 1A's #1-ranked Frontier begins a tough stretch for the Oracles that includes another road contest at Clinton Prairie at 5 p.m. on Friday, before returning home to host county-rival Carroll at 5 p.m. on Monday and Peru at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Delphi's game at Class 3A's #16- ranked Frankfort has not been rescheduled at this time.