Gold edges Blue in high school softball finale

Caesar Rodney’s Rosa’Lynn Burton was named Gold MVP after getting two hits, stealing two bases and scoring two runs in her team’s 6-5 win in the Blue-Gold softball game.

DOVER – The summer travel-ball tournaments and start of college careers could wait.

The annual Blue-Gold game was the high school finale for 29 of Delaware’s top senior softball players, and the Blue team did its best to make it last a little longer Thursday night at Dover Little League.

Trailing by three runs going into the bottom of the ninth, the Blue scored twice and loaded the bases with one out. But pitcher Riley Shields of Cape Henlopen got a strikeout, and shortstop Kendra Ziemba of Hodgson sprinted back to catch a soft liner as the Gold team held on for a 6-5 win.

“I was holding my breath,” Caesar Rodney’s Rosa’Lynn Burton said of the final rally. “I didn’t know what to do. But I was sitting in the dugout cheering, hoping Riley would get us through. She did.”

Burton was named the Gold MVP after getting two hits, stealing two bases and scoring two runs.

“You never know what you’re going to get out of me,” said Burton, who traded the traditional eye black for glittery eye gold for this game. “I’m a slapper, I might drive one, I might lay one down, I might hit one in the gap. And then when I’m on base, you never know.”

Lauren Maichle of Delaware Military Academy was named the Blue MVP after banging out two hits and an RBI.

“I came out here just to play like it was any other game,” Maichle said. “I did what I needed to do. … I hit the ball well today, and I couldn’t ask for more.”

Brady Keeler of Woodbridge and Karina Atanacio of Appoquinimink also had two hits for Blue, which outhit Gold 12-7. Atanacio also pitched the first three and last two innings for Blue, with Concord’s Rachel Pritchard pitching the middle four innings.

Padua’s Kierstin Fallers drove in two runs for Gold. Sussex Tech’s Sarah James pitched the first four innings, with Shields hurling the final five frames for Gold.

There were a lot of familiar faces – and a few new ones – on both teams.

“I had a lot of fun,” Maichle said. “Most of these girls I grew up with, so it was a little reunion.”

“We play against each other all year,” Burton said. “All of our travel-ball teams are from around here, so you know most of the girls. But you get to meet some new ones, which is exciting too.”

Gold led 3-2 after five, and stretched the advantage with three runs in the top of the sixth. James reached on an error, Burton slapped an infield single and Fallers plated both runners with a long single. Then Polytech’s Whitney DeMora, recently named Delaware’s Player of the Year, scored Fallers with a double.

Middletown’s Sarah Adkins doubled and scored on Atanacio’s single to pull Blue within 6-3 after seven. Then Blue made it even closer in the ninth.

Red Lion Christian’s Noelle Holiday reached on an error, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Ky’Lesha Neal of Indian River. Keeler singled and came home on Maichle’s single, and Daniela Solis of Wilmington Christian singled to load the bases. But Gold got the final two outs to preserve the victory.

“We almost rallied back,” Maichle said. “We fought hard to the end. That’s all you can ask for from any team that you play with.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ