Royals softball uses long ball to defeat Sussex Academy 10-4
Kandice Schlabach went yard three times and garnered four RBIs to lead the Delmarva Christian softball squad over Sussex Academy 10-4. The 11-5 Royals move to the second round of the DIAA state tournament. The Seahawks finish their 2021 season at 8-7.
Schlabach ended the game going 4-for-4 with three homers and a single. Lilli Showacre and Lydia Woods both had two hits and two RBIs. Lily Fetterman had two hits and two runs scored. Gracie Fetterman had a hit and two runs scored. Katie Thompson delivered two hits, including a double.
“Every time I go up to the plate, I know I’m up there, not for myself, but for my team,” Schlabach said. “I try my best to help my team with a base hit. The home runs just come when I get a good swing at the ball. Lilli pitched a great game and my teammates pick each other up.”
Schlabach now has 16 home runs on the season.
Royals sophomore pitcher Lilli Showacre gave up just five hits in the circle, allowing no earned runs while striking out 13 batters.
“Katie is a great catcher and she hangs on to my pitches,” Showacre said. “We are hard on ourselves sometimes because we know we can do better, and sometimes we just have to reel it in and calm down. We had a good lead, so we just had to relax and bring it down.”
“Lilli was so good in the circle today,” said Royals head coach Keith Stonebraker. “Defensively, our youth and inexperience showed up again, but she just finds a way to pick us up. Whether it’s a big strikeout or getting a pop-up, she has bailed us out of some difficult situations and limited damage. She did that again several times today.”
The Royals had 13 hits.
“Offensively, we swung the bats well and got contributions up and down the lineup. Kandice was impressive, though. Every time she steps to the plate I expect her to hit another ball out,” Stonebraker said.
Sussex Academy’s Paige Tidwell had two hits, including a double. Caelynn Rees-Jorgensen, Rachel Carey and Mia Barone each had a hit.
Miranda McIlvaine went the distance in the circle for the Seahawks, striking out four Royals batters.
“We’ve had a great season,” said the sophomore pitcher. “It was really fun this year.”
