In the league semifinals against Worcester, the Skyhawks dropped the opener of the best-of-five series, 3-2, before roaring back to win three in a row. Pitching, which had been the Hawks' biggest weakness in 2008 (their 5.03 ERA was second-worst in the league) came through against the Tornadoes with 3-2 and 4-0 wins in games two and three. In Game 4, Worcester jumped to a 5-0 lead before Sussex scored six runs in the fourth en route to an 8-5 win, and a berth in the Can-Am League Championship Series against Quebec.