By Lynn Schofer
Sussex Tech senior Kameron Tindley’s line drive to center field tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning of the DIAA Baseball State Tournament game. The Red Wolves of Conrad came back and scored two runs in extra innings to win the game and end the season for the Ravens.
Sussex Tech, led by senior starters Brent Evans (1B), Sean Ely (OF), Rosnell Lewis (OF), Gavin Hudson (IF), Anthony Vitale (OF), Kameron Tindley (SS), Nickolas Wharton (3B), Kobe Tindley (OF), and Cayden Showard (UTL), played a strong season with a 12-5 record. Ely threw five complete innings and was replaced in the sixth by Lucas Joseph and later Gavin Hudson. Sussex Tech was led by Kameron Tindley with a single and double and three RBIs, Brent Evans had two hits, Kobe Tindley added one hit and an RBI, Ely contributed one hit.
Sussex Tech’s Braydon Hazzard shows his excitement to get the team rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The offense of the Ravens was quiet in the early innings with two hits through the first three innings. Conrad scored in both the second and third innings including a three-run home run by Andrew Shute. Tech loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning on two walks and a single by Evans but Conrad pitcher Sawyer DeLuca scored the final out on a center field fly ball to end the inning.
The Ravens got on the board with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk to Lewis and a single by Ely that put runners on the corners. Conrad made a pitching change and Lewis scored on a throw to first base to check the runner. Junior Braydon Hazzard was walked and Kobe Tindley hit a fly ball to left field to score Ely. Sussex Tech stranded two runners in the inning.
Conrad added a run in the top of the seventh inning when Sussex Tech loaded the bases on an intentional walk and Conrad’s Nicholas Dello Buono saw four balls that scored the run. In the bottom of the seventh inning Ely walked and Braydon Hazzard reached on an error at second base and Ely moved to third base. Senior Kobe Tindley singled to right field to score Ely, then Kameron Tindley saw the pitch he wanted and smacked a hard line drive to the center field fence to score two runs and a tie the game to go into extra innings.
The Red Wolves two hitter were walked and a sacrifice bunt moved Conrad’s Jack Fleetwood to third base and later and a two-run hit gave Conrad the 7-5 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Evans singled with one out and an error put Lewis on base. Unfortunately, Sussex Tech was unable to bring home the runners and the season ended on a pop up foul ball. The Red Wolves moved on to Frawley Stadium to play Sussex Central in the semifinals.
