Lewes majors take exciting District 3 title game
The Lewes and Milton Major League All-Stars battled for seven gut-wrenching innings July 19, and when the final out was made, the Lewes squad garnered a 6-5 win in the winner-take-all District 3 final.
They will carry the District 3 banner into the state tournament, where they will open play against Naamans Little League Wednesday, July 24, in Middletown.
Lewes got on the scoreboard first with one run in the first inning and two in the second. Milton’s big guns came out with two outs in the third scoring four runs to take the lead.
Milton added another run in the fourth to take a 5-3. Things were looking bleak for the Lewes squad, but there was no quit in either team, as Lewes battled back to take a 6-5 lead and eventually the win.
Lewes was led by Jacoby Clark who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
"I just wanted to get the bat on the ball and get on base," said Clark. "I wasn't thinking fastball or curveball; I just wanted to hit it."
Ben Pease, Grant Hershelman and Lucca Tobias each had a hit. Cole Kastor slammed a double, while Ayden Jester was credited with an RBI.
Briggs Gannon started the game on the mound, going 3.2 innings and giving up five runs with one strikeout.
"Most of their hitters were off with my curve," said Gannon. "I feel really great for states."
Jester came in from the bullpen in the fourth and shut down the Milton squad with four strikeouts.
"I was a little nervous," said Jester. "I just felt super good near the end of the game.”
"These guys are a bunch of ball players," said Lewes manager Jerry Windish. "We're a resilient bunch and Milton is a resilient bunch. I couldn't have asked, as a manager, for two better ball games with two great groups of kids than Lewes and Milton. Milton fought back when they were down and left for dead last night. Then we were down two runs in the sixth tonight and fought back. Neither team gave up."
Milton was led by Noah Smith who slammed a double knocking in two runs. Ty Tillinghast went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Brody Dias and Cam Books went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Madden garnered two hits. Logan Cole had a double.
Mason Conran toed the rubber for Milton, striking out four batters. Tillinghast came in from the bullpen and struck out two.
“I’m really proud of our team tonight,” said Lewes assistant coach Jason Pease. “It was fitting that it was two Cape teams playing for the championship. Milton was terrific. We had a really tough week at Cape with a lot of our guys playing with a lot of emotions. Some of our kids loved Elijah Ghabour like family. We’re happy that we could get a win for him.”
Lewes’ win came one night after they fell to the same Milton squad. Milton was trailing 5-0 entering the sixth inning, but magic happened and the Milton boys plated six unanswered runs to earn the win and force a winner-take-all final the next night.
Milton had a magical run through the District 3 tournament. After falling to Lewes 6-1 July 11 in the opening round, Milton reeled off five straight wins against Millsboro, Lower Sussex, Nanticoke, Georgetown and Lewes.
In the July 18 game, Lewes was led at the plate by Briggs Gannon who went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Ben Pease went 1-for-1 with an RBI. Cole Kastor went 2-for-3, while Lucca Tobias delivered an RBI. Ayden Jester, Grant Hersheman and Jacoby Clark each had a hit.
Finn Gannon started on the mound and delivered four strikeouts. Ben Pease and Ayden Jester came in from the bullpen.
The Milton squad was led by Britt Thompson, Mason Conran, Brody Dias and Lane Wyatt, who all went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Chase Madden slammed two hits. Ty Tillinghast and Nehemiah Woods each had a hit.
Milton was toed on the mound by Woods, Conran, Colton Wall and Britt Thompson, who teamed for five earned runs and five strikeouts.
