Delaware South baseball team advances to Carpenter Cup semifinals

A few local baseball players are set to play at Citizens Bank Park Monday, June 26. 

The Philadelphia Phillies will be coming off a three-game series against the underperforming New York Mets and will have the day off before flying out to Chicago to take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Still, The Bank will be full of action the first Monday of summer as Delaware South, a team comprising high school players from Middletown to Indian River, takes on New Jersey’s Tri-Cape team in the semifinals of the 2023 Carpenter Cup Classic.

Delaware South, coached by Sussex Tech’s G.L. Jefferson and St. George’s Jeff Rodgers, reached the second to last round of the legendary tournament by defeating Philadelphia Public 15-3 June 14 and Inter-Ac/Independent 12-5 June 17.

Cape’s Timothy Hitchcock scored a run, while Vikings teammate Lex Wescott started at the hot corner and drove in one run in the June 14 contest. Tied 2-2 after the first, Delaware South posted crooked numbers in the second and fourth innings before exploding for seven runs in the fifth. Holding Philadelphia Public to just four hits in the contest, Delaware South’s 12-run lead led to the game to end after seven innings.

Hitchcock started at shortstop and led off June 17 against a squad made up of mostly Philadelphia Catholic League ball players. The team MVP of the 2023 Cape Henlopen varsity squad went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored. Wescott drove in a run for the second straight game. Delaware South posted seven runs in the first and four runs in the eighth on the way to a seven-run quarterfinal victory.

Outfielder Issac Terhune, an incoming senior at Cape like Westcott, is also on the squad that will now play in the semifinals at Citizens Bank Park June 26. Other local players include Roman Keith of Indian River, Kade Hall of Sussex Tech, TJ Morris of Sussex Central, Ben Cordrey of Indian River, Jeremy Vest of Sussex Tech, Noah Burroughs of Sussex Central, Jace Jarmon of Indian River, Rosnell Lewis of Sussex Tech and Sean Ely of Sussex Tech. 

The first pitch is scheduled for the semifinal game is 12:30 p.m. If the team advances to the championship game, they will take on the winner of Olympic-Colonial and Jersey Shore, who face off at 9 a.m., June 26.

The title game is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 27. More information is available by emailing community@phillies.com or by calling 215-463-1000.

Delaware South softball

Delaware South softball, a five-time Carpenter Cup champion, last hoisted the title in 2021. On June 21, the team began its quest to add another championship. The team was unfazed by an 8 a.m. start at F.D.R. Park in Philadelphia and defeated Mid-Penn 16-0. After dropping the second game to Mercer County 7-5, the girls ended the day with a bounce-back win, edging out Delaware County 2-1 and clinching a spot in the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinal game against Jersey Shore was held June 21. Jersey Shore got out to an early lead, but Delaware South battled back to get within one run in the top half of the fifth inning. Jersey Shore added an insurance run in the bottom half of the frame to make the final score of 5-3.

Incoming Cape Henlopen junior Ava Calciano, who bats left-handed but throws with her right, was the lone Vikings player on the team. Other local players include Destiny Mitchell of Sussex Tech, Bella Marinelli of Delmarva Christian, Lauren Dickerson of Milford, Maggie Kwiatowski of Delmarva Christian and Hayley Lawson of Sussex Tech.