Caravel and Sussex Tech go head up for state title
Though the Lady Indians toppled over Seaford last Saturday in the quarterfinals of the state softball tournament, their moment came to a dwindling end, inning by inning, this past Wednesday. Top-seeded Caravel flattened the Indian River team 15-2 at Sports at the Beach in Georgetown on May 30, in the semifinal match of the Delaware High School Softball Tournament.
Coastal Point • SUSAN LYONS:
Junior Haley Brennan catches a player in a run-down in Wednesday's semi-final match in the Delaware High School Softball Tournament.
Despite a shaky start, IR still looked like they were in it as Jordan Warrington shot a drive to left field to pull in two RBI’s, knocking down Caravel’s lead, 4-2 in the fourth inning. Caravel pounded shot after shot, though, testing the outfield and rounding bases until the game was all but over.
“We played them well up there,” said Indian River head coach Mark Browne, referencing his team’s 5-3 loss at Caravel just two weeks ago. “They just knocked the cover off the ball today – too many pitches in the zone. Hopefully, our pitchers will learn from that.”
Sophomore starting pitcher Sarah Tyre began the night on the mound for Indian River before Browne tried out freshman Katelyn Null in the fourth. Wednesday’s game was a far cry from the three-hitter Tyre served up to Seaford in the quarterfinal match-up.
“I wish we played better,” said Browne. “All I wanted was to play well [against Caravel] and we did not.”
He acknowledged the journey that the Lady Indians had to endure this season, contending team injuries, personal disagreements and new positions.
“I’m really delighted to be here,” said Browne, “but we’re still light years away from the top three teams. We’re a very young group who has a long way to go and a lot of growing up to do.”
Still, he admitted he was impressed with how the team had come together, overall this season, adjusting to the six starters that were lost from last year’s team.
“I’m very proud of the girls,” he said. “Nobody expected them to be here in the final four. I don’t want this game to be the hat that’s hung on. It’s going to be hard not to leave here thinking about this game only. What we have to think back on is where we came from and what got us here, [and then] we build on that.”
Indian River will lose two players to graduation this year, Jessica Braun and outfielder Hilary Hawkins. Browne said he is looking ahead at bringing up the young team strong and eager, early next season.
“I hope the girls will not accept the feeling that they had to have felt today,” he said, “and that over the course of the off-season, they will do things that will help them prepare themselves to take it to the next level. I am very proud that we made it this far, but we have a lot ahead of us.”
With their victory, Caravel will face Sussex Tech for the state championship game on Saturday, June 2, at Sports at the Beach. Tech pulled off a 3-2 triumph over Sussex Central on Wednesday to secure a trip to the final game in the state tournament.