Red Lion Takes HR Derby Over Cape

The Cape Henlopen softball team saw their great season come to an end in the first round of the DIAA State Tournament on Saturday afternoon, when they fell to Red Lion 14-5. The Lions took a high scoring game which saw a total of 6 home runs between the two teams.

The Lions wouldn’t wait very long before finding their stride. After getting a couple runners on base in the 1st, Abbey Smith would turn on a pitch for a 3-run home run. That was just the start of her day. Red Lion would then add another run off a RBI base knock, before the Vikings would fight their way back. Cape would get back to back solo home runs of their own from Kaeli O’Neill-Willey and Hannah Jones as they would climb back within 2.

But the Lions weren’t playing around in this one. The road team would tack on 5 runs in the top of the 3rd, getting another home run from Caroline Paolantonio, along with a couple RBI base knocks. The Vikings would find themselves down big, but would try and use the long ball to get back in the game. O’Neill-Willey would send another solo bomb to left to cut into the deficit. Then shortly after that, Jordyn Virden would rope a 2 RBI double to center to get her team within 10-5. But the bats never slowed for Red Lion, and especially not for Smith. She would add a 2 RBI single in the top of the 7th, finishing the day 4-4, 2 HR’s and 6 RBI’s to help her team to the upset road win.