Sussex Tech upsets Sussex Academy in softball semifinals

As No. 9 Sussex Academy’s historic season came to a close in the DIAA softball semifinals May 27, the magical run of No. 12 Sussex Tech continued, as the Ravens upset the Seahawks 10-6 to punch their ticket to the title game.

“It's my first year as head coach, and this team is something special,” said Sussex Tech coach Shannon Brown. “We're a family, and we trust in each other, and it's just amazing to make it with this team.”

Brown was a junior catcher for Sussex Tech in 2016, the last time the Ravens made the state championship. This year’s semifinal may have been drenched in rain, but it did little to put out the fire in both teams.

“I would have never in my dreams thought that I would have been playing on this field; to be able to come here with my girls is the best feeling,” said Sussex Academy pitcher Carson Gesuero. “I would have not have rather played anywhere else.”

Her counterpart May 27 was freshman Cierra Lewis.

“Cierra is not a normal freshman, she's an athlete that doesn’t come around often,” Brown said. “She’s already hit 100 strikeouts. She's well on her way to 150 this season. And she is composed. She doesn't get rattled easily, and she just works one pitch at a time.”

Gesuero and Lewis kept circles on the board for the first two innings, but after Tech failed to score in the third inning, Sussex Academy put the pressure on. Delainie Monitzer was driven home on an RBI single from Caroline White. The speedy Marley Campanese pinch ran for White, but all she would need to score was a simple trot after Grayce Glover crushed a center-cut fastball over the wall to increase the Seahawks’ lead to 3-0.

Sussex Tech responded in the fourth when senior Hayley Lawson lined a base hit to left field, scoring senior Chloe Warrington. The Seahawks gained back the three-run edge when Gesuero, pinch running for Audrey Snyder, scored on an infield single off the bat of Ashlyn Troxler.

Trailing 4-1, the Ravens opened the fifth with a double from Lewis and bunt single by Mariah McCabe. A sacrifice fly with one-out scored Lewis, leading to a two-out rally. Senior Madison Myers tied the game with an RBI single, then Sussex Tech took a 7-4 lead when Lawson smashed a three-run shot over the center-field wall.

“As a team, we're all here to win together; a home run is the team's home run,” Lawson said. 

Glover drove in White in the fifth inning to trim the lead, 7-5, but with two outs in the top of the sixth, Sussex Tech added another run when McCabe scored on a wild pitch. The Seahawks couldn’t score in the sixth inning, but that didn’t stop the Ravens from adding insurance in the top of the seventh inning, when Myers opened up the final frame with a solo shot to left center.

Freshman Chloe Tonge wrapped up the scoring for Sussex Tech, putting Sussex Academy in a 10-5 hole to start their final at-bat.

Gesuero drove in a run when she got plunked with the bases loaded, but it would be the final run.

“I couldn't ask for any more; they took us on a great ride [and] we had a lot of fun,” said Seahawks coach Gerald Jester.

With the victory, Sussex Tech will play No. 2 Caravel in the DIAA state championship at the University of Delaware at 7 p.m., Friday, May 30.