By Andy Walter

CAMDEN — Audrey Carroll didn’t know what to do.

Both her softball teams needed her. But they were also playing in tournament championships at about the same time.

The 15-year-old Camden-Wyoming catcher had to choose. Caroll was with her Delaware Venom travel-ball teammates at the time, so she asked them.

“They were like, ‘Follow your heart,’” said Carroll. “I never had so much support from a softball team. It was amazing. It was like, now I know what I’m supposed to do.”

The story ended with Carroll and some of her other Camden-Wyoming Senior League softball teammates arriving just in time so the squad didn’t have to forfeit the state championship game.

CW wound up winning the state title but not before it went to a second game with New Castle/Suburban that didn’t end until 1 a.m.

On Saturday afternoon, Camden-Wyoming’s players and their families gathered at the league complex to head down to Roxana for the start of the Senior League World Series.

CW, the U.S. East champions, open the tournament on Monday with a 6 p.m. matchup with host Lower Sussex.

Aside from Lower Sussex, Camden-Wyoming had the shortest trip to the tourney in Little League’s age division for 14-16 year olds. But from a softball standpoint, CW’s trip to the World Series was pretty harrowing.

The predicament in the state finals, on July 17, was just one example.

Camden-Wyoming coach Gary Kennard knew there might be a conflict with a few team members also playing in different travel-ball tournaments that weekend. He just couldn’t have both travel-ball squads advance in their tourneys — so, naturally, they both did.

Kennard said some of the players arrived at the Senior League game with maybe 10 to 15 minutes to spare before it would have been canceled,

“It was not fun at all,” he said about the situation. “I was talking to the (travel-ball) coaches. The Delaware Venom, their coach, Pat Long, saved me big time because he had my catcher (Carroll). I had to have her and he gave her up.”

Samantha Wilson was another player scrambling from a travel-ball game to the Senior League contest.

“I got out of the car and started running to the game so I could get there,” she said.

On the field, Camden-Wyoming has developed a penchant for regularly coming from behind.

To capture the District I crown, CW had to take two must-win games with Smyrna-Clayton — a squad it lost by 11 runs to start the tournament.

Then, playing in the East Regional in Worcester, Mass., Camden-Wyoming lost three of its first four games. In an elimination game, against New Jersey, it trailed 12-5 before rallying for a 14-12 victory.

Then in the East finals, CW fell behind 4-0 to Pennsylvania before coming back to win, 10-4.

“I think we just never give up, even if we’re down,” said Wilson. “We were down by 10 runs in one game and we never gave up. We just kept pushing. We all believe in each other.”

“I think the thing is, we’re never truly out of it,” said player Alyssa Kennard. “We always have this one person who starts it. I definitely wonder, ‘How did that happen?’”

Now that they’ve made it this far, Camden-Wyoming’s players hope they can be a contender at the World Series, too. But, even if they don’t challenge for the title, they’re looking forward to meeting players from around the world.

All the teams are staying in the same hotel.

“I’m just excited to play softball and meet new people,” said Kennard. “Even if we don’t end up performing the way we want to, it’s still cool to say I got to go somewhere. I got to meet new people and I got to play against these people.”

For Camden-Wyoming’s players, the last month has been exhausting. Between travel-ball tournaments and the oppressive heat, they’ve put in a lot of effort to get to the World Series.

Carroll said it’s worth it, though. She can remember going to see World Series games at Lower Sussex when she was younger.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I want to be here, this is what I want to do,’” said Carroll. “‘I want to make it to a Little League World Series.’

“Now I’m actually here. It’s a dream come true. I feel like we’ve worked so hard for this and now we’re finally here.”

Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at 302-741-8227 or walter@iniusa.org.
Follow on Twitter at @DSNSports.