Matt Cleary’s 4-hit shutout stops Sallies
On Saturday, April 18, the baseball team, fresh off a Friday 9-8 home loss to Milford - where the Vikings left the tying run on third base with one out in the bottom of the sixth and twice ran themselves into bone-headed double plays ending an inning and obscuring a stellar pitching performance in relief by Brent McDowell - headed out to face Salesianum. If ever there was a no-chance tagline on a baseball game this was it.
But don’t tell that to sophomore Matt Cleary who threw a complete game, four-hit shutout while recording seven strikeouts, besting Sallies sophomore Sam Kmiec in a good old-fashioned pitchers’ duel.
“We only had one error the entire game, “ said Cape catcher Dougie Stigile back at Cape, quietly unraveling news of the upset as hundreds filed in to watch Cape play Sallies in lacrosse. “We still have 10 games to play so maybe we can get it going.”
“Dan [Cleary] scored the winning run from third on a wild pitch in the seventh after he singled to get on base,” said leftfielder Keith Hocker. “Nobody expected us to win at Sallies.”
Gill lifts girls over St. Elizabeths
The Cape softball girls admittedly have a low-expectations tag following them onto the field, but the players and coaches don’t believe in that stuff.
After splitting a doubleheader up north, beating Concord 9-1 and losing to powerhouse Caravel 7-0, the Vikings hosted St. Elizabeth last Saturday, April 18, at high and hot noon.
Cape rode the pitching arm of Laurel Gill who had seven strikeouts in the game and cracked her first career home run in the fourth inning for a 3-2 victory.
The win came in dramatic fashion in a game tied at 2 in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Kelly Smith drove home Shannon Manor with the winning run. In the win over Concord, Gill had nine strikeouts while Chelsea Reed was 3 for 4 and scored a pair of runs. Jessie Dmiterchik handled all the catching duties and cracked a double in the Concord game. Connie Floyd was 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
Concord game CH: Gill and Dmiterchik. CO: Eaton and Thomson. W-Gill, L-Eaton (3-4).
2B-CH: Dmiterchik, Reed. 3B-CO: Miller. HR-CH: Floyd, Hendrickson.
Highlights: Lauren Gill had nine strikeouts for the win. Connie Floyd was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Chelsea Reed was 3-for-4 with two runs score for Cape Henlopen.
Aryan Eaton was 2-for-3 for Concord.
Baseball and softball host Seaford Tuesday, April 21 before traveling to Smyrna Thursday, April 23.
