Cape senior all-stars battle for district title

Rematch with Mid-Sussex will determine champion

Max Selders applies the game-winning tag June 24 to send Lower Sussex to the losers bracket. AARON MUSHRUSH PHOTOS

Aaron R. Mushrush

June 27, 2024

Trailing 7-0 to start the bottom of the fourth, the Cape Senior League All-Stars scored eight unanswered runs to defeat Laurel 8-7 June 26 and clinch a spot in the District 3 title game against Mid-Sussex.

Cape’s run to the title game began with an 11-7 victory over host Lower Sussex in the first game of the tournament. The all-stars lost their second game to Mid-Sussex 16-6 before bouncing back with a win against Laurel.

Lower Sussex

Cape was down 1-0 June 24 before scoring three runs each in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 9-1 lead. Will Burke grounded into a fielder’s choice to start the scoring in the second before singles off the bats of Cameron Hartstein and Connor Garman plated two more runs.

Ben Pribulick doubled in the fifth to score Robbie Payton and advance Max Selders to third. Burke grounded out to score Selders before Hartstein singled in Pribulick to give Cape a 6-1 lead after three.

Pribulick forced an error with a hard-hit ground ball to score Noah Miafodzyeu, opening the scoring in the fourth. Gino DiBattista’s single scored Pribulick following a pair of singles from Burke and Hartstein. Garman’s single sent Burke home to give the visitors a 9-1 lead.

Lower Sussex stormed back with five runs before Cape plated two more in the top of the seventh to make it 11-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, the home team had two runners on base. An awkward ground ball to Garman initiated chaos, leading to the final out of the game being made by Selders with a tag at the plate.

Mid-Sussex

Things unraveled for Cape in the fifth inning of its June 25 second-round game against Mid-Sussex. After responding to each Mid-Sussex offensive outburst, Cape trailed 7-6 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Patient approaches led to walks and singles, giving Mid-Sussex bases-loaded opportunities with no outs. Scoring nine runs over its next nine plate appearances, Mid-Sussex clinched a spot in the District 3 title game with a 16-6 mercy-rule victory.

Laurel

Although Cape could not pull off a comeback against Mid-Sussex, it was able to conjure up some magic in the elimination game against Laurel June 26 in Millsboro.

Down 7-0 to begin the bottom of the fourth, Cape scored five to get within striking district with three full frames left. Dominic Mangini’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth brought the home team to within one.

A one-out single, coupled with a pair of walks, led to bases loaded and an RBI single off the bat of Hartstein. With every base still occupied, Mangini’s keen eye during a full count led to an RBI walk, scoring the game-winning run for Cape.

Cape secured the victory when shortstop Harper Kaser fielded a ground ball and threw to Miafodzyeu for a force at third; Miafodzyeu then threw to Brayden Cronic at second for the game-ending double play.