By D. Matt Dale
MaxPreps.com
Baseball: Salesianum Finishes on Top
Salesianum advanced to the finals of the state baseball tournament after a thrilling, four-run seventh inning comeback to beat Seaford 7-6. The Sals faced Cinderella 15 seed Middletown in the finals, as the Cavaliers upset Dickinson 8-5 in their semifinal contest.
The Cavaliers fell short of capturing their first state baseball title as Salesianum’s junior right hander Breidy Breidenbach pitched his way to a 6-0 championship victory. Breidenbach struck out nine and improved his seasonal record to 9-2.
The Sals capitalized on Middletown mistakes by scoring four runs on three Cavalier errors.
Although Middletown did not come out on top, the Cavs made history by becoming the first No. 15 seed to make it to the finals of the state tournament. Middletown earned respect throughout the state by stunning heavily-favored teams throughout the tournament, and managed to record an impressive 16-8 record against a tough schedule.
It was the Sals who came away with the first place trophy, as they captured a sixth state baseball championship in school history. The No. 1 seed finished the season with eight consecutive victories resulting in a 20-4 overall record.
Softball: Sussex Central Takes Home the Title
The Golden Knights beat top seeded Caravel 4-0 to become state softball champions for the second time in the last three years.
Sussex Central held most of the momentum throughout the game but was unable to score a run through the first four innings. Luckily for Sussex the fifth inning would provide all the scoring the Golden Knights would need.
Sophomore Asia Brittingham knocked in the first run of the game in the fifth, sparking the team’s offense.
Megan Lathbury, Brittany Strack and Amanda Holston followed suit as each player knocked in a fifth inning RBI of their own to give Sussex Central a 4-0 lead.
Erika Brittingham blanked the Buccaneers as she gave up two hits while striking out nine in her seven full innings of work.
Despite a strong showing during the regular season and throughout the tournament, Caravel fell just short of their goal and finished with an 18-6 record.
Sussex Central now has three championships under coach John Wells, who guided this year’s team to a 21-1 championship season despite a young roster.
Girls Soccer: Spartans Get Last Laugh Against Padua
St. Mark’s claimed its fifth girls soccer championship as the Spartans edged out Padua in overtime in the state finals. Steph Rinschler was the hero of the day as she scored the first and last goals of the game. Courtney Rhodes provided the equalizing goal for Padua in the second half.
Although St. Mark’s offense was in attack mode throughout the game, Padua’s defense held strong through regulation.
Just one minute into overtime, Rinschler did her hero thing and guided the Spartans past Padua for the second time this season, capturing the state championship in the process.
The Pandas finished with a 14-3-1 record, and came within a goal of winning a third consecutive state championship.
St. Mark’s has now won five state championships since 2000, and finished this season with an impressive 18-1 record.
