Slater’s walk-off homer lifts Cape to 4-3 win over CR
Cape’s Jay'lyn Slater stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with one runner on base and two outs, with her team trailing 3-2.
The senior slammed a fastball off the scoreboard of Bill Cordrey Field for a walk-off home run in the 4-3 win over Caesar Rodney.
“She threw me a fastball right down the middle, and I got a great swing on it and put it out,” said the senior catcher. “Cape hasn’t beaten them since 2018. The last two times we’ve played them, they have shut us out 20-0 and 10-0, and I love it that we got some revenge on them today.”
Bri Windish led off the seventh inning with a hit through the right side. She later scored on a double by Ava Calicano to make the game 3-2. That’s when Slater jacked the first pitch she saw into the big blue scoreboard with a sound the resonated through the Cape loyals in the stands.
Calciano singled to lead off the bottom of the first and extend her hitting streak to 17 games. Junior first baseman Hayden Hudson knocked her in on an RBI single.
The game was tied at 1-1 until Caesar Rodney’s Ellie McCarthy connected for a two-run single that gave the Riders a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth.
Alivia Heers had a single and a double for the Vikings, while Eden Frederick had a hit.
Junior righty Abby Marsh went the distance in the circle, scattering seven hits while striking out three.
Vikings top Conrad
Not 24 hours after Slater’s heroics, fellow senior Natalya Roundtree slammed a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and give the Vikings a 4-2 lead over Conrad. One inning later, Calciano delivered a home run to seal the deal.
Marsh went the distance for the Vikings, giving up nine hits while striking out six batters.
The same pair of Vikings matched their previous day’s feat when Calciano was knocked in by Hudson to give Cape an early lead. Slater scored on three wild pitches in the third inning.
“The last two games have shown how we have grown as a team, and continue to battle and compete all seven innings,” said Cape coach Mike Tkach. “We also are not relying on just one person. Every day it seems like someone else steps up when needed and produces for us. The way we are playing as a team makes us dangerous with how we are hitting and fielding. Our outfield trio is making a lot of plays and covering ground, and the infield has played well behind strong pitching from Abby as well.”
Cape moves to 8-3 on the season. The Vikings travel to Smyrna Tuesday, April 30, to face the 6-5 Eagles.
