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Cape baseball wins first state title in school history

The Cape Henlopen baseball team celebrates their first state championship. Shown are in back (l-r) coaches John Conn and Tyler Townsend, Ryan Gibbons, Grant Evans, Sam Johnson, Jackson Ostroski, Zack Gelof, Reese White, coach Drew Johnson, Austin Elliott, Luke Smailer, Logan Dominick, David Erickson, Parker Brown and head coach Ben Evick. In front are coach Dave Vitella, Luke Johnson, Mason Fluharty, Zach Savage, Zach Dale, Timmy Vitella and Jake Gelof. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Dave Frederick
June 4, 2018
Cape starting pitcher David Erickson, left, and catcher Zach Savage, right, celebrate with Mason Fluharty after he picked up the last out of the game.
Cape head coach Ben Evick, right, joins his team as they celebrate their first state championship in program history.
Cape coaches Tyler Townsend, Dave Vitella, John Conn, Ben Evick and Drew Johnson celebrate their DIAA State Championship.
Cape senior shortstop Zack Gelof slams a double in the Vikings’ first at bat.
Cape senior right fielder Zach Dale tracks down a Caravel long fly ball for a Bucs out.
David Erickson struck out nine Caravel batters on his way to pick up the victory.
Cape first base Mason Fluharty gets the ball from pitcher David Erickson on a pick-off attempt of Caravel’s Jakob Hoffman.
Timmy Vitella gets a hit.
Cape third base Jake Gelof snags a foul ball for a Buccaneers out.
Cape second base Luke Johnson, right, makes a Willie Mays catch over his shoulder and throws to third for a double play.
Cape second base Luke Johnson, right, makes a catch and throws to third for a double play. Backing him up is Zach Dale.
Jake Gelof knocks in big brother Zack. He had two RBIs in the Cape win.
Cape’s Jake Gelof has a collision with Buccaneers second base Michael Summerfield on a steal attempt.
Cape pitcher David Erickson helped himself at the plate with a double and an RBI.
Cape left fielder Timmy Vitella gets the ball in quickly on a Caravel hit.
Cape second base Luke Johnson, left, is met by Reece White after making an over-the-shoulder catch and throw for a double play.
Cape catcher Zach Savage looks to challenge Buccaneers pitcher Aaron Holiday.
Cape center fielder Austin Elliott slams a hit.
Cape head coach Ben Evick says “one more” and gives the ball to Mason Fluharty to pick up the last out in the game.
Cape pitcher David Erickson, left, gets a standing ovation as he’s met by assistant coach Drew Johnson. Erickson struck out nine Buccaneers batters on his way to pick up the win.
Cape baseball wins its first DIAA State Championship in program history.
Mason Fluharty is hugged by starting pitcher David Erickson, left, and catcher Zach Savage.
Sweet victory.
Courtesy runner Reece White slides safely into third.
Cape pitcher David Erickson powers through the Caravel team for the Vikings’ first state championship.
Cape’s Jake Gelof, left, greets his big brother Zack in an emotional moment after the win.
Sweet!
Cape baseball Class of 2018 members are (l-r) David Erickson, Sam Johnson, Zach Dale, Zack Gelof, Reece White, Austin Elliott and Zach Savage.
The Milton and Lewes fire departments and the Lewes Police Department gave the Vikings an escort to Chris Short Field after the DIAA State Championship win.
Cape students show their support for the baseball team. Shown in back are (l-r) Victoria Lockwood, Jody Boyer, Annie Judge, Chloe Schaeffer, Alia Marshall, Lindsay Monigle, Carly Truitt and Lola Messick. In front are Katie Frederick, Jillian Seker, Alex Chiartas, Alyssa Needham and Gracie Oliverio.
Cape head coach Ben Evick, right, and assistant Drew Johnson arrive at Chris Short Field after being escorted by the Lewes and Milton fire departments and the Lewes Police Department.
The Cape team honors America during the National Anthem.

Cape baseball was “Runnin’ Down A Dream” in the top of the first inning. Austin Elliott sent a deep shot to left-center field of spacious Frawley Stadium that was caught. Zack Gelof, who had doubled to open the game, tagged from second and just kept running, sliding safely into home for a 1-0 Cape lead. 

The boys were back in town. The class of 2018, who had made the finals as freshman, were back in the show to complete the mission and bring Cape baseball its first state championship in 50 years. 

There was plenty of drama for you and your mama over the next seven innings, but David Erickson was dealing on the mound, and he took a 5-0 three-cushion sofa into the bottom of the sixth inning. 

But the Buccaneers’ bats woke up and scored three runs. They were threatening to score more with runners on second and third with one out, when an in-between humpback liner into the dead zone between second base and right field was caught over the shoulder by Lucas Johnson. 

“I just threw it back toward the infield,” Johnson said. 

The cutoff man threw to third for an inning-ending double play. 

Cape closed it down in the bottom of the seventh, with Mason Fluharty recording the final out for a 5-3 Cape win. Then it was a Kool and the Gang celebration that lasted 30 minutes.

“Just an unbelievable  feeling,” said 40-year-old head coach Ben Evick, who did a half-gainer over the dog pile of players, landing on his back. “We came here to win this thing, and a credit to our players, they just showed up and got it done.”   

Erickson struck out nine batters and only gave up one hit through the first five innings.

Jake Gelof ripped a two-run single in the top of the second for a 3-0 Cape lead. 

Erickson roped an RBI double in the fourth inning that scored Fluharty to extend the lead to 4-0. Left-handed swinger Zach Savage flared a ball down the left-field line for an RBI double in the fifth to round out Cape’s scoring.

Erickson had tears in his eyes after the game, as did Zack Gelof and most coaches and players. Cape fans in the stands snapped, crackled and popped; it was wild. 

A police fire and rescue escort awaited the players at Route 16 to lead the team back to the high school. 

“The players rode the Cape highway back to the high school with their heads out the window,” said Bill Henry Buckaloo, who made it happen. “They were really excited.”

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