By Andy Walter

NEWARK — There weren’t many great options for Madge Layfield.

Friday night’s DIAA softball state championship game between Sussex Central High and Caravel was still scoreless.

But the Buccaneers had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. And the count was full on Caravel batter Kasey Xenidis.

Layfield didn’t want to walk in the winning run but she also didn’t want to give Xenidis something to hit.

In the end, Layfield threw a strike but Xenidis lined it up the middle for a two-run single that gave the top-seeded Bucs a hard-fought 2-0 win over the No. 2 Golden Knights in the state championship game.

“I kind of lost my curveball there the last few batters,” said Layfield. “We were kind of just going right at the batter and she got a hold of one. At the end of the day, it is what it is.”

The crushing setback gave Caravel (18-1) its third nail-biting victory over Sussex Central (19-4) in the state finals in the last four seasons.

Those three wins have come by scores of 1-0 — in 10 innings — 8-7 and now 2-0

Xenidis also threw a three-hit shutout with five strikeouts and one walk as the Bucs (18-1) as Caravel won its fourth state title in a row and 14th overall. The Bucs are 55-0 against Delaware schools since 2021.

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.

Xenidis got her game-winning hit in an eight-pitch at-bat.

“It’s not the pitch we wanted to throw,” said Central coach John Wells. “It’s a full count and she’s fouled a couple of them off. It’s hard to go with a changeup or curve on the corner.

“If you miss it, you don’t want to walk the run in. So you’re throwing straight fastballs down the middle. So she’s getting the ball put on a tee three of four times in a row. But give her credit. She fouled some balls off, extending the at-bat and she caught one.”

“It was definitely nerve-wracking,” said Xenidis. “I got to the field early taking hitting reps. It feels good to be able to hit as a pitcher.”

Xenidis then retired the Knights in order in the top of the seventh as Caravel’s players celebrated another softball state title.

Layfield also tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks..She was one of five seniors on this year’s Central roster that went 74-14 in their careers.

“It was an amazing run,” 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. “But I wouldn’t trade any the memories I’ve gotten over the last four years.”

Extra innings

• Sussex Central is now 3-7 all-time in softball state finals including a 2-5 mark against Caravel. Caravel is 14-9 in title games.
• Layfield, who had over 1,000 career strikeouts, will continue her career at Central Arkansas.
• The Knights allowed just 31 runs in 24 games this season with nine shutouts.They allowed more than two runs in only three games.
• The last team to win the softball state title that wasn’t either Caravel or a Henlopen Conference squad was Saint Mark’s in 1997.
• Caravel’s only loss this season was a one-run setback ro Rising Sun, Md.,
  Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at awalter@iniusa.org. Follow on X @DSNSports.

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