Lower Sussex clinches spot in Senior League World Series

Maybe the girls in northern Sussex County will be featured on ESPN in 2025, after their 2024 season came to a brutal end.

Upper Sussex kept the games close this year, but they ultimately fell to host Lower Sussex in the District 3 Senior League Softball Championship, losing the first game 3-1 and the second 8-6. It was the closest Upper Sussex has come to the Senior League Softball World Series since the default title game began.

First game

Adrianna Heck was in the circle for Upper Sussex, while Cierra Lewis took the ball for Lower Sussex. Both girls were sharp, but a few errors and a Ryleigh Smith double gave Lower Sussex an early 3-0 lead after two innings.

Following three straight goose eggs from both sides, Upper Sussex found themselves down to their final five outs when Taylor Lowe came up to the plate with one out in the fifth inning. Up 2-1 in the count, Lowe unleashed a rocket over the left-field fence to put Upper Sussex on the board and breathe life into the previously shut-out squad.

Lower Sussex clamped down to escape with a 3-1 win, but the visitors were not quite ready to stop partying when the second game began.

Second game

Kenni Blades, who closed out the first game, was on the rubber for Upper Sussex to start the nightcap. A quick 1-2-3 inning paved the way for a big first inning for the girls in teal.

Cape’s Abby Marsh led off with a single and advanced to second on a Baylee Lynch sacrifice and third on a passed ball. The speedy Kimora Harris drove Marsh in on an infield single to put Upper Sussex out in front. She advanced into scoring position on a passed ball, but in hindsight did not even need to move up 60 feet. 

After taking a ball and fouling one off, Lowe regrouped herself at the plate with a breath and a look at her bat. She settled in and waited for her pitch. When it came, she did not miss, this time sending on over the center-field wall for her second home run of the series, giving Upper Sussex a 3-0 lead. Jordynn Bowe, an outstanding defensive third baseman, followed Lowe’s dinger with a double before coming around to score on an Ava Brock infield single. 

Upper Sussex expanded to a 5-0 lead when Harris singled Marsh in during the bottom of the second inning. Lower Sussex responded with two runs in the fourth, but Marsh scored once again, this time on a Lowe sacrifice to give Upper Sussex a 6-2 advantage. Tacking on three more in the fifth, Lower Sussex made it a 6-5 ball game heading into the sixth inning.

Lower Sussex pinch hitter Bailey Griffin flipped the score when she beat out a throw to first, with two outs, leading to Gracie Hoban and Bella Marinelli crossing the plate and resulting in a 7-6 advantage for the hosts. They scored in the top of the seventh to double their lead.

Refusing to bow out of the race, Adeline Lutz walked and Brock singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Sophia Bowen sent a blooper into left, but Lutz was tied up and thrown out advancing after waiting to see if the ball was caught or not. Alivia Longo pinch-ran for Bowen, giving Upper Sussex speed at first and second. Marsh singled to load up the bases.

With the tying run at second and winning run at first, the Lower Sussex defense clamped down to get the third out and punch their ticket to the Senior League Softball World Series.