Lewes 8-10 All-Stars advance to District 3 final

A sleeping giant may have awoken in the Cape Region the day after July 4.

The Lewes 8-10 All-Stars followed up a 20-5 victory over Nanticoke July 5 with a 12-0 shutout of Georgetown July 6, then a 12-2 drubbing of Lower Sussex July 8. All games were played at Woodbridge Little League, and following the offensive explosions, it is safe to say Lewes brought the lumber across Sussex County with them. Let’s hope Redden State Forest is still standing.

In its July 6 game against Georgetown, Lewes jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning thanks to solid contact and RBIs from Luca Fazio, Brody Fazio, Ayden Jester, Mason Thompson and Lucas Skonieczki. Lewes added another three runs in the second to make it 9-0. With two runners on base in the bottom of the third inning, Ben Pease slugged a shot into right field. With the Georgetown outfielders scrambling to get the ball and start a relay, Skonieczki and Michael Dimuzio crossed home. As the relay began, Pease was rounding third and giving all he had to reach the plate. As the ball smacked the catcher’s mitt, Pease slid into home for a three-run, inside-the-park homer. Expanding the lead to 12, the Lewes defense needed three quick outs to claim the early victory.

While the offense was a source of post-July 4 fireworks, the defense was also impressive, particularly the pitching. Pease toed the rubber for Lewes to start the July 6 game and proceeded to strike out four while only walking one over two innings of work. Jester relieved Pease in the top of the third, an inning that ended with a bases-loaded double play. Jester fired another scoreless frame to clinch the 12-0 victory for Lewes.

Lewes awaits the winner of a game against Lower Sussex and Millsboro. Lewes’ opponent must earn two consecutive wins to claim the District 3 title. Lewes just needs one win to move on to the state tournament at Canal Little League beginning Tuesday, July 18.

Midnight Riders

The Milton 8-10 All-Stars were eliminated from the District 3 tournament following back-to-back losses at the Lower Sussex Little League Pyle Center in Roxana. Losing to Lower Sussex July 5, Milton squared off in an elimination game against a talented Laurel squad.

The game’s first pitch occurred shortly before 9 p.m., July 6, and the final out was made just after midnight July 7. The marathon game featured a quick low followed by a fourth-inning high and a deflating final sixth inning for the young Milton squad. Laurel jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead after three innings before adding a ninth run in the top of the fourth. 

Milton’s offense came to life in the bottom of the fourth inning. With timely hitting and disciplined approaches at the plate, Milton slowly crept back into the game. The effort added five runs to their previous total to make the game 9-6 entering the fifth.

Laurel eventually let the dogs out in the top of the sixth, taking a commanding 20-6 lead after scoring 11 runs in its final at-bat. Milton plated two runs before the first out was recorded in the bottom of the sixth, but it could only get across one more run before Laurel made the final out on a close play at first.

Despite the early exit, Milton fans and parents are optimistic about their young all-stars. A majority of players on the team, including the heart of the order, are 8-year-olds and at the lower range of the age requirement. As the weary-eyed ballplayers spoke to their coaches for the final time in 2023, the clock was well into the first quarter of the midnight hour. The coaches told them to be proud of themselves and their effort. They did, after all, just play a game spanning two days.

More information is available at dedistrict3.org