Sussex Academy softball leaning on leather in 2024
The Sussex Academy softball team is hoping to flip the results of a few close games, crack the .500 mark and get back to the state tournament.
“We have some new faces this year,” said senior Sophia Noon. “And so far, with how well we’ve practiced together, I’m looking at very high expectations.”
High expectations are reasonable for a team that lost only two players to graduation and dropped four games by two runs or fewer. Returning to the team, along with Noon, are juniors Carson Gesuero, Addison Lane and Dymond Steele, and sophomores Delainie Montizer and Eva Boos. Newcomer Ryan Lowe joins them to give the Class of 2026 three players on the team.
“We’re a young team, but the girls that are young have experience,” said coach Gerald Jester.
Freshmen Makenna Blades, Grayce Glover, Bailey Mears and Caroline White embark on their second varsity season after contributing to the cause as eighth-graders. First-year varsity players Sophia Bowen and Rogue Garcia round out the freshmen to make it the largest class represented on the team.
“We’ve got a strong defense this year, especially with our pitching,” Noon said. “We’ve got a couple of different pitchers we can use.”
Noon’s catcher, Delainie Monitzer, agrees.
“Pitching is coming along, and I look forward to beating some teams that we had close scores against,” Monitzer said.
The sophomore thinks a good mix of strikeouts and defensive hustle will prevent opponents from putting up crooked numbers.
“Everyone’s giving 110% effort,” Monitzer said. “We’re all diving for balls; everyone wants to be here, and [they] just want to do their best to make plays.”
Jester said the defense is solid, as players know where the right play is and how to make it.
“We’re going to go as far as the defense and pitching carries us,” Jester said. “Hitting is going to be the bonus.”
Noon wonders how they’ll do in rematches of those close games.
“We’ve had some pretty close calls with Cape, and our Woodbridge game last year was a close one,” Noon said.
Sussex Academy will open its season at home at 3:45 p.m., Tuesday, March 19, against Charter School of Wilmington. The Seahawks will welcome Cape Henlopen Tuesday, April 9, hoping to avenge last year’s 4-2 home loss.
