Delaware South knocked out of Carpenter Cup tourney

By Tim Mastro
Posted 6/14/21

PHILADELPHIA — One tough inning ended Delaware South’s Carpenter Cup tournament on the first day for the first time since 2015.

Delaware South fell to Inter-AC/Independents of …

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Delaware South knocked out of Carpenter Cup tourney

Posted

PHILADELPHIA — One tough inning ended Delaware South’s Carpenter Cup tournament on the first day for the first time since 2015.

Delaware South fell to Inter-AC/Independents of Pennsylvania 9-5 on Monday in its first round game of the 35th annual summer showcase baseball tournament hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies. The tournament’s first two rounds are hosted at FDR Park in Philadelphia with the semifinals and finals at Citizens Bank Park.

Inter-AC/Independents scored seven of its runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to seven walks and one Delaware South error in the inning.

“We put some kids in some difficult spots,” said Polytech’s George Eilers who coached Delaware South this year. “Once you get bases loaded and you try to put pitchers in and let them feel their way, let alone in a showcase tournament, you’re in a very difficult situation. We definitely would like to have that inning back but I was proud with the way the guys handled themselves and that’s why they were selected to this team.”

Delaware South, made up of players from high schools in Kent County and Sussex County plus New Castle County schools St. Georges, Middletown and Glasgow this year, fell to 17-26 all-time in the tournament. It entered this edition with some recent success, winning at least one game every tournament since 2016 and making the semifinals twice.

Despite falling behind 8-1 in the fifth, Delaware South closed within 8-5 in the eighth and had the potential tying run on deck once.

“This team didn’t mail it in and showed what they were made of,” Eilers said. “They kept putting good at bats together, even in the last inning. I couldn’t be more proud of this effort and they way this team stood together. That’s what keeps us coming back to be part of this showcase.”

Timothy Hitchcock of Cape Henlopen paced the Delaware South offense with two hits, a run scored and a RBI. Andrew Arterbridge of St. Georges also had a two-hit day and scored once.

Dominic Joseph (Glasgow) provided a RBI triple while Hunter Rauch (Cape Henlopen) also knocked in a run. Aydin Zimmerman (Milford) added a double during a late rally.

Delaware South did lead the game 1-0 in the fourth when Appoquinimink’s Lorenzo Carrier laced a double off the wall in left next to the 370-foot sign. Carrier, the state Player of the Year and a University of Miami signee, scored on another double by Sussex Central’s Chase Boyle.

But the lead was short lived as Jimmy Kirk led off the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run for Inter-AC/Independents. The seven-run inning for Inter-AC/Independents followed in the next frame.

It was the first Carpenter Cup since 2019 as the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To see kids out, having fun and smiling, that’s why we do this,” Eilers said. “You don’t realize the impact this has on the kids until you get back on the field and you see them enjoying it. I’m glad we had a season and hopefully we’re back to normal now and through all the hurdles. The kids need these outlets. The Phillies do a great job here every year and I’m really happy we were able to enjoy it again.”

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