Cape baseball advances to DIAA semis
A good old-fashioned pitching duel took place May 28 in the DIAA quarterfinals in Dover, as Mason Fluharty pitched six strong innings to lead Cape to a 3-1 victory over the Senators.
Cape pitchers scattered six hits in the contest. Fluharty struck out six Dover batters, and Parker Brown picked up the save for a two-strikeout performance in the seventh.
“My curve ball was working today,” said Fluharty. “I could really locate my fastball too. I didn’t have my best stuff, but I could work around the zone. The team played really great behind me. I’m really proud of them.”
“I was nervous,” said the cool, calm and collected Brown. “I didn’t have my stuff, but I battled and it worked out. They have a great team. They had a great run.”
“Mason didn’t have great stuff today and battled through multiple tough situations,” said Cape coach Ben Evick. “The bases were loaded in the sixth, and he got out of it with no runs scored. Then Parker came in and closed it in the seventh. Picking a runner off third was a huge play for us. Logan Dominick did a great job on the play applying the tag getting the out.”
“It was a big play on that pick-off at third,” said catcher Timmy Vitella. “We relayed that we were doing to do a first-to-third call and the runner kept taking a bigger lead. So we just threw to third and got him.”
“The best thing about this team right now is that nobody’s giving up,” said assistant coach Dave Vitella. “If someone doesn’t do well at the plate, they go out and make great plays in the field. If someone isn’t hot in a game, they come back hot in the next game.”
Grant Evans and Robbie Baxley each had a double in the game. Baxley picked up two RBIs.
Ryan Gibbons, Fluharty, Timmy Vitella and Luke Smailer each delivered with hits.
“I can’t say enough about our team’s approach right now,” Evick said. “All 17 guys have bought in to one goal. Everyone has a role, and we’ve committed to working hard and getting better as the season goes on. Timmy Vitella is doing a great job managing the game and our pitching staff from behind the plate. He knows when to go visit and settle our guys down, and is really doing an exceptional job controlling the run game.”
The Vikings travel to Frawley Stadium in Wilmington Thursday, May 30, to face No. 1 Appoquinimink, which beat Sussex Tech 1-0 in extra innings May 28.
Appo’s Joey Davis and Tech’s Matt Warrington went blow-for-blow in a pitchers’ duel. Davis allowed four hits while striking out 11 Tech batters to earn the hard-fought win. Warrington struck out nine Appo batters and only allowed one hit.
Both teams had runners in scoring position in the fifth inning but could not scrape one across.
After a lightning delay, Mason Keene got things started for Appo in the bottom half of the eighth inning with a walk. He then stole second and took third on a overthrown ball to second. After a strikeout, Lorenzo Carrier was walked intentionally. With runners on first and third, Krew Bouldin drove a ball to left field to walk it off for Appo.
