Sussex Tech knocked out in semifinals by CR 1-0

No. 2 Sussex Tech was eliminated by No. 6 Caesar Rodney 1-0 in a pitchers’ duel at Frawley Stadium in the state tournament semifinals May 30.

Gavin Hudson took the mound for the Ravens and pitched brilliantly, going the distance while striking out 11 and surrendering only one run on three hits. Efficiency was the name of the game for the junior, as he fired in 74 strikes on his 103 pitches, not allowing any free passes.

“Anytime you allow three hits, you expect to win a ball game,” said Ravens coach G.L. Jefferson. “We left too many at bats out there, but that’s taking nothing away from [Steve] Donigan. We knew we were gonna face a stud – he was solid the first time we faced them.”

Ironically, the two teams had already squared off at Frawley Stadium in a 1-0 walk-off win for the Ravens April 23. Donigan was dominant in that contest as well.

In the May 30 semifinal game, Hudson and Donigan both had perfect games before the opposing offenses registered a hit. CR singled with one out in the fifth but failed to get Evan Fowler in scoring position. Rosnell Lewis, on the other hand, got as far as third in the bottom of the fifth after leading off the inning with a bunt single. The junior was stranded on base, along with Brock O’Day, after Donigan picked up his third strikeout of the inning to escape unscathed.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, a lazy fly ball off the bat of William Lorentz proved to be fatal for Sussex Tech. Senior Graham Buckson was halfway to third when the ball met the bat, having taken a rather large secondary lead at the behest of his coaches. The senior raced in to score the first and only run of the game.

“We had our opportunities even after that, and we just weren't able to manufacture anything,” Jefferson said.

To the Ravens' credit, the players remained focused on the task at hand. A Braydon Hazzard walk with one out, coupled with the hustle of Sean Ely to beat out a throw to first gave Sussex Tech runners on first and second with one out. Unfortunately, the threat was quashed when Hazzard was thrown out attempting to steal third, before Gavin Hudson struck out to end the inning.

Following a pair of two-out walks in the seventh by reliever Colby Rall, Sussex Tech once again had runners on first and second. The CR junior, however, got Kameron Tindley to bite on the first pitch and pop out to catcher Ethan Wisler to give the No. 6 Riders a 1-0 win and a spot in the state championship against No.13 Salesianum.

Jefferson said he told his players, especially the seniors, to keep their heads up.

“Always wear the T on the chest with pride,” Jefferson said. “We accomplished a lot this season; we came up short in the very last game, we only allowed three hits and one run on a Texas League fly ball. You can't allow that to dictate the amount of fun, memories and great time that we had as a team.”

The Henlopen Conference champions finished the season with an overall record of 18-4.