Sussex Academy softball walks it off against Indian River

There’s something romantic about the sports, fittingly, played on the diamond. 

In the bottom of the eighth inning April 1, with her Seahawks trailing 5-4 against Indian River, Sussex Academy’s Carson Gesuero blasted a two-strike pitch to the fence to score two runs and give the home team their first win, 6-5, against IR in program history. For the senior, it may have been the most clutch moment in her career.

Sussex Academy took somewhat of a roller coaster ride during the game to create the historic moment.

“I'm just tickled to death for the girls,” said coach Gerald Jester. “They were up, they were tied, they were down, and they came back and won it in extra innings. Sweet win should get us propelled for the rest of the season.”

In the defensive battle, the Seahawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead through three innings before IR got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Gesuero was in the circle for Sussex Academy and kept the opposition’s offense at bay for most of the game, going the full eight innings while fanning 10 batters and surrendering just three hits.

A sixth-inning outburst from IR saw the home team’s lead evaporate, with the Seahawks suddenly trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning before Grayce Glover stepped up to the plate. The sophomore knotted the score 4-4 with her third hit of the game.

“The girls play hard and they practice with heart,” Jester said. “When you practice and you play with heart, you're going to win a lot of games.”

Sussex Academy couldn’t pull off the win in the seventh inning, but after IR scored again in the eighth, the Seahawks loaded the bases. It was Gesuero’s time to shine.

“It was exhilarating, to say the least; we had bases loaded, two outs, I had two strikes on me and I drove it to the fence,” Gesuero said. “You can't get grittier than that.”