By Andy Walter

NEWARK — For the second straight year, the only thing separating Sussex Central High and Caravel was a single run.

And for the second year in a row, that one extra run belonged to the Buccaneers.

Caravel’s Haley Grygo tripled home Olivia Rexrode from second base with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth to give the top-seeded Bucs a hard-earned 8-7 victory over No. 3 Central in the DIAA softball state finals on a hot Sunday afternoon.

With the contest played before a big crowd rininging the field at the University of Delaware, the state crown was the 11th for Caravel, which kept the Knights from winning their first championship since 2008.

But, unlike last year’s tense, 1-0, 11-inning battle, Sunday’s rematch was a much different kind of game.

In this one, the two teams combined for 17 walks — including nine issued by Central — with three hit batters compared to 11 total hits.

Caravel put up six runs in the second by taking advantage of five walks and a hit batter in the outburst. The Golden Knights were leading 2-0 at the time.

“The first inning was fine,” said Central sophomore pitcher Madge Layfield.

“But we got into the second inning and it seemed like the umpire changed his strike zone completely. I was being pushed to throw the ball right down the middle of the plate.

“In the later innings he finally opened up a little more. But it was both ways for that. We were standing in the box basically being told not to swing until we got a strike because we never knew when he was going to call one.”

“I don’t know, 15 walks? How does that happen?” said Central coach John Wells, guessing at the total. “That changes a lot of the scoring. The biggest part of this game is balls and strikes, pitching and catching. That’s where it starts.”

Caravel coach Randy Johnson admitted the walks had a big impact on the contest.

“I did not expect it to be this crazy,” he said about all the scoring. “But we are not going to have the same umpire (every game). We just didn’t do a good job of playing to that. That made it tough for us.

“But both teams have got to play with it, no matter what. Sometimes they (the strike zones) are big, sometimes they’re tight. It’s part of the game.”

After falling behind, 6-2, Central came all the way back to tie the contest at 7-7 with two runs in the top of the sixth. Catcher Kate Evick singled up the middle to score Kiersten Anderson with the tying run.

But in the bottom of the sixth, Caravel’s Brooke Holdsworth led off with a double to left center. She was replaced by Rexrode as a pinch runner.

One out later, Grygo lined a ball to right center that brought home the winning run.

The Knights got a one-out walk in the top of the seventh. But Bucs pitcher Kasey Xenidis got the final two outs as the Bucs ended up in a pile of celebrating players by first base.

“This is a good group of kids,” said Johnson. “I just felt different coming in here this year. Win or lose, it was just nice to walk in here with this group. They were really awesome every day this year.”

The day had gotten off to a good start for the Knights. Central’s first two batters, Mya Jones and Takyla Davis, smacked back-to-back doubles as the Knights scored a pair of first-inning runs.

Senior Kaylee Verosko had a big two-run single in the third to start Central’s comeback. In the end, the Knights just couldn’t keep up with Caravel.

“They fought all year,” Wells said about his players. “We had a bulls-eye on our back having been to the finals. Every team gave us their best. Our girls were resilient and fought through some injuries.

“To get back here was a pretty awesome run.”

“If we play any day of the week, it’s going to be a really close game,” Layfield said about the matchup with Caravel. “We’re all very, very upset right now.

And we were upset last year. This one just stings a little more, it adds a little bit more fuel to the fire.”

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