Delmar’s Christian Pierson jacked a home run off pitcher Zack Gelof in the top of the second inning to stake the Wildcats to a 1-0 lead at Chris Short Field May 15.

The weather was wind-blown hot, like an industrial dryer. Carpenter bees buzzed around the Cape dugout, and players swatted at them with their caps. Upset was in the air; it was the type of game where the favorite can get stung.

The Vikings responded to the downside of deficit with a five-run bottom of the second. Gelof hit a wind-blown triple to chase home a pair of runs. He stood on third base and said to his mates in the dugout, “That was kind of lucky. Maybe it will get me going.”

Cape stayed in front in a seven-inning game that took forever to play, notching a 10-3 victory to finish a perfect 13-0 record in the Henlopen Conference. The Vikings are 15-2 overall and will host Saint Mark’s Friday, May 18, in the last regular game of the season.

Mason Fluharty, Jake Gelof, and Zach Savage all had doubles.

Austin Elliott was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including a fourth-inning two-run homer that clanked off the scoreboard in left center field.

Gelof did not have his best stuff, but went five innings and recorded eight strikeouts. Fluharty threw scoreless sixth and seventh innings.

Delmar used four pitchers in the game, with starter Jordan Haddaway throwing 62 pitches the first two innings.

The first round of the DIAA State Tournament is set for Thursday, May 24.