Caravel’s Chloe Kennedy (24) tries to tag out Sussex Tech’s Brooke Ward (4) at third base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) get hit by a pitch in the 1st inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s pitcher Holly Brooks (6) sends a pitch in the 1st inning against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Central and Caravel line up for the playing of the National Anthem at the start of the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) makes a throw to first base for a out against Caravel in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Emily Proffitt (14) makes a infield play in the 1st inning against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Kayla Sobolak (27) slides past Sussex Tech’s catcher Shannon Lord (7) to score in the first inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s Nicole Hovatter (2) tags out Caravel’s Holly Brooks (6) at second base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) slides into home plate to score in the 1st inning against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) tags out Caravel’s Chloe Kennedy (24) at third base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Kayla Sobolak (27) slides past Sussex Tech’s catcher Shannon Lord (7) to score in the first inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) makes a throw to first base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Alexa Proffitt (4) with a bunt attempt in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) makes a throw to first base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s pitcher Taylor Wroten (9) makes a catch in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) makes a infield player against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Sussex Tech’s pitcher Taylor Wroten (9) makes a out in the 6th inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) throws the ball to the pitcher’s area after making the final out of the 5th inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel celebrates their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s catcher Nicole Marcon (9) and pitcher Holly Brooks (6) hug celebrating their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Chloe Kennedy (24) makes a throw to first base in the 5th inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s pitcher Holly Brooks (6) jumps into the air celebrating their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) makes a infield player against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
Caravel does four lunges out in the outfield celebrating their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.
MILFORD – There they were, a freshman and a senior, in their own little world.
Nicole Marcon was calling the pitches. Holly Brooks was throwing them. Sussex Tech wasn’t getting good swings at them.
Caravel’s senior left-hander was brilliant, holding one of the state’s most powerful offensive teams to one run on six hits as the Buccaneers scored two runs in the first inning and made them stand up for a 2-1 victory in the championship game of the DIAA Softball Tournament.
An enthusiastic crowd lined the entire field at Milford High on Saturday morning to watch the state’s top two teams battle. The top-seeded Buccaneers (19-3) were making their 17th finals appearance in 18 years, and Caravel earned its 10th state title behind a young catcher and experienced pitcher.
“That was a big step for us this year,” Brooks said. “She’s a ninth-grader, I’m a senior, so it was something we had to really work at. We’ve been working all season, just talking in between innings.”
The chats this time focused on how to keep the Ravens’ big hitters off balance. Marcon called more off-speed stuff than usual, and Brooks’ breaking pitches were spot on.
“Usually she’s iffy on it, but today she really had it working,” Marcon said. “… We did a lot of curve in and out, and that was really effective.”
Second-seeded Sussex Tech (18-3) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, as Shannon Lord and Madison Watson singled and Taylor Collins was hit by a pitch. But Brooks got out of the jam with a strikeout and ground ball to second.
“It’s nowhere that I hadn’t been before,” the left-hander said. “I knew I just had to settle in, I had to play my game and I had to really buckle down and make my pitches.”
Then Brooks helped herself, delivering the first RBI single of the game after leadoff hitter Samantha Esper singled and moved to second on a groundout.
“It was crucial,” Brooks said. “This whole time, we’ve lived on that first inning, coming out really strong. I was just looking for something I could drive.”
Marcon was hit by a pitch, Grace Walker walked and Jennifer Sieminski came through with a two-out single to score courtesy runner Kayla Sobolak for a 2-0 lead.
“I got behind in the count, but I fought through it,” Sieminski said. “All I wanted to do was drive the ball and get it on the ground somewhere.”
Polytech’s DeMora leads All-State softball team
The Ravens stranded runners at second and third with one out in the second, but got on the board in the third. Collins drilled a double and came home on Rylee Shockley’s two-out single to cut the lead in half.
That was all of the scoring for both teams. Brooks retired 13 of her last 14 batters, allowing only a one-out single to Shockley in the sixth. She struck out six, and Brooks, third baseman Chloe Kennedy and shortstop Esper handled six ground balls flawlessly.
Sussex Tech freshman Taylor Wroten was just as stingy, holding the Buccaneers to three hits over their final five at-bats. She retired 10 of the last 11.
“She pitched a good game,” Ravens coach John Marvel said of Wroten. “We competed well. We played a good game, too. The score indicates how close the two teams are. We have nothing to hang our heads about.”
It was a sweet ending for Caravel’s seven seniors, who lost to Laurel 3-0 in the 2014 title game and went through a shocking, 20-0 loss to Polytech in last year’s final.
“If anything, that made us stronger,” Brooks said. “I think we were closer together this year. We were a lot hungrier. We were ready.”
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ
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