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GEORGETOWN, DEL. —
Sussex Central's Chris Conaway had a pair of RBI singles and senior Steve Novak tossed his best game to date as the Golden Knights defeated Milford 5-3 and kept their playoff hopes alive.
Needing to win their final two contests this season to earn a playoff berth, Milford (14-2 overall, 11-1 Henlopen) was the first and largest obstacle in the Knights' way.
Early in the bout, it seemed as if the host Buccaneers would be too difficult to overcome, as senior Jerrell Allen scored on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and Bucs' ace David Michael went through the Central lineup in order the first three innings.
The Knights, however, got on the board in the fourth when they plated a pair of scores thanks to senior Mike Schlitter's single that scored junior Trey Mears and Conaway's first RBI single of the contest. Milford tied the contest in the bottom of the frame, however, when Novak balked in a score.
Things remained knotted until the sixth, when senior Kevin Guthrie drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Garrett Hudson followed with a single. After Schlitter moved the duo up a bag with a fielder's choice ground out, Conaway pushed Guthrie across the dish with a base hit through a drawn in infield. Junior Connor Cooper then singled in Hudson for the eventual game-winner, and senior Matt Cleary followed with a gutsy two-out bunt that allowed Zach Claussen (running for Conaway) to score the Knights' final run.
Milford, however, did not go quietly into the evening, as they plated a score in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on second and third before sophomore Tyler Aiken came in to relieve Novak and got a line out to end the contest.
Central (9-7, 8-4) will travel to Smyrna Friday for its regular season finale.
Sussex Central's Chris Conaway had a pair of RBI singles and senior Steve Novak tossed his best game to date as the Golden Knights defeated Milford 5-3 and kept their playoff hopes alive.
Needing to win their final two contests this season to earn a playoff berth, Milford (14-2 overall, 11-1 Henlopen) was the first and largest obstacle in the Knights' way.
Early in the bout, it seemed as if the host Buccaneers would be too difficult to overcome, as senior Jerrell Allen scored on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and Bucs' ace David Michael went through the Central lineup in order the first three innings.
The Knights, however, got on the board in the fourth when they plated a pair of scores thanks to senior Mike Schlitter's single that scored junior Trey Mears and Conaway's first RBI single of the contest. Milford tied the contest in the bottom of the frame, however, when Novak balked in a score.
Things remained knotted until the sixth, when senior Kevin Guthrie drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Garrett Hudson followed with a single. After Schlitter moved the duo up a bag with a fielder's choice ground out, Conaway pushed Guthrie across the dish with a base hit through a drawn in infield. Junior Connor Cooper then singled in Hudson for the eventual game-winner, and senior Matt Cleary followed with a gutsy two-out bunt that allowed Zach Claussen (running for Conaway) to score the Knights' final run.
Milford, however, did not go quietly into the evening, as they plated a score in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on second and third before sophomore Tyler Aiken came in to relieve Novak and got a line out to end the contest.
Central (9-7, 8-4) will travel to Smyrna Friday for its regular season finale.
