Electricity was literally in the air as the Smyrna-Clayton Senior League All-Stars won the District I championship 8-5 over Camden-Wyoming Monday night in Smyrna.
Lightning delayed the game for about a half hour after Smyrna-Clayton had increased its lead to 6-4 at the end of the fifth.
The team’s six runs came after Camden-Wyoming had jumped in front 4-0 in the top of the first.
The comeback for the home team started in the bottom of the third, when Ashton Russell walked with one out. James Jarman hit a hard grounder up the middle that bounced off the pitcher. The pitcher scrambled after the ball, but overthrew the second baseman, and both runners were safe. Zach Carbine walked to load the bases.
After a pitching change, Robbie McKeldin grounded out to second, but Russell scored Smyrna-Clayton’s first run.
Then with two outs, Dylan Voss hit a towering homerun over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the fourth, Smyrna-Clayton took a 5-4 lead when Jarman hit a double that bounced off the mitt of the lunging centerfielder, scoring Nick Verbeck.
In the fifth, McKeldin scored from third on a ground out by Dustin Warren to give Smyrna-Clayton a 6-4 lead.
When play resumed after the lightning delay, Carbine, at catcher, snuffed out a Camden-Wyoming rally by throwing out a runner trying to steal third.
Then James Jarman helped clinch the game with a two-out, two-run homerun over the left centerfield fence to make the score 8-4.
Camden-Wyoming added a run in the top of the seventh as a light rain began to fall, but Smyrna-Clayton closed out the game and celebrated before the presentation of pins and the District I banner.
After the rough first inning, Voss pitched five scoreless innings before surrendering the run in the seventh. He struck out four in the complete-game victory.
The team had moved through the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament without a loss, before falling Sunday, 5-0, to Camden-Wyoming which had one previous loss. That set up the Monday night showdown for the District I title.
“This is unreal,” said manager George Kilbride. “Last night, they were flat and we lost, and tonight, we got down by four. They came back and won this one. They did this. What a great job.”
Smyrna-Clayton now advances to the state tournament and is scheduled to play its first round game in Seaford on Tuesday, July 27.
