By Andy Walter

NEWARK — Not much separated Sussex Central High and Caravel again on Friday night.

It never does.

And once again it was the Buccaneers who found a way to score just enough runs to leave with the DIAA state championship trophy.

Senior pitcher Kasey Xenidis lined a two-run single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give top-seeded Caravel a 2-0 win over the No. 2 Golden Knights in the softball state championship game.

Xenidis also threw a three-hit shutout as the Bucs (18-1) beat Central (19-4) in the state finals for the third time in the last four seasons. Those three wins have come by scores of 1-0 — in 10 innings — 8-7 and now 2-0.

The state championship was also Caravel’s fourth in a row and 14th overall.

The Bucs are 55-0 against Delaware schools since 2021.

Golden Knights’ pitcher Madge Layfield also tossed a three-hitter.

In the sixth, Caravel’s Leah Richardson got a one-out single and advanced to second on a flyout. An intentional walk was followed by another walk to load the bases with two outs.

In an eight-pitch at-bat, Xenidis got her game-winning hit on a full-count pitch.
Xenidis then retired the Knights in order in the top of the seventh as Caravel’s players celebrated another softball state title.

“It was an amazing run,” Central coach John Wells said about his seniors. “Division titles, state runnerups three out of four years. .... just an amazing run.

“We like to play at the highest level. We got our kids that live in our area and we’re going against a private school that’s always here. How many times in my 30 years coaching softball has Caravel not been in the finals? A handful. So it’s not rocket science.It’s not hard to figure out.

“The playing field is what it is. We don’t make excuses. It’s back to the grind again.”

Central never got a runner past second base in the contest.

Catherine Hassler, Ava Brock and Makayla Eikenberry all had singles for the Knights.

Central did have runners on first and second with one out in the second inning. But Caravel turned a caught line drive into an inning-ending double play.

The Knights were looking for their fourth state title but first since 2008. Henlopen Conference squads have also won 15 softball state crowns since 1993.

“It stinks that we didn’t get to finish it off this year,” said Layfield, who is headed for Central Arkansas in college. “But I wouldn’t trade any the memories I’ve gotten over the last four years.”