Mighty Oaks baseball swept by No. 6 Northampton CC, softball scores 40 runs in sweep of Cecil
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — When you’re playing a nationally ranked team there is literally little room for error(s).
Extra outs lead to big innings and big innings lead to bad losses.
Salem CC learned that throughout the series with sixth-ranked Northampton CC Saturday.
The Oaks gave up a six-run third and a three-run fifth — all on a total of three hits — in a 10-3 loss in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. They lost the nightcap 8-1 with some similarly bad innings.
Two errors led to a seven-run inning in an 11-1 series-opening loss to the once-beaten Spartans (14-1) Thursday.
“We did it the whole series,” Salem coach John Holt said. “When we did, we gave them those extra outs, they capitalized every time.
“I’ve known Yags (Northampton coach Adrian Yaguez) for (a long time). We’ve played against each other from my Burlington days, so I know that’s what’s going to happen. They’ve got a good enough ballclub that when mistakes are made they’re going to capitalize. We’ve just got to clean it up.”
The Spartans had only two hits in the inning that broke the opener open, but the Oaks helped them along with four errors and six walks. The most damaging miscue came when first baseman John McAllister dropped a pop foul behind the bag with two outs in a 4-1 game.
Sam Martinez wound up drawing a walk with the new life and the Spartans tacked on three more runs before the Oaks (6-8) got out of it.
Between innings Holt gathered his players outside the dugout to explain the importance of not giving any team, least of all a good one, extra outs. The Oaks didn’t make an error the rest of the game, but they did issue three bases-loaded walks in the Spartans’ three-run fifth that dug the hole deeper.
“They’re the No. 6 team in the country for a reason,” Holt said. “When you make mistakes good teams capitalize on those mistakes and that’s kind of what cost us.
“I think if we clean up a couple things and we continue to work on cleaning up that stuff I think we’re going to be OK. We’re really not that far off from where we want to be. We execute some pitches, we make some routine plays, I think we’re going to be OK.”
The nightcap started as a pitching duel between Salem’s Joe Davis and Northampton’s Logan Magdits. Each pitcher gave up a run in the first inning, then put up zeroes through the fourth.
Davis developed some arm stiffness and was lifted before the fifth started. Aiden Ewe came on and threw hard, but he gave up three runs. The Spartans scored the go-ahead run on a bad throw trying to nail a runner at third and then after loading the bases on an infield error scored two more runs on walks.
Two more errors and two bases-loaded station-to-station singles contributed to four runs in the seventh.
While Salem used three pitchers after lifting Davis, Magdits went the distance for the Spartans. He threw 99 pitches, gave up four hits – two each by Nick Ciesielka and Demetrius DeRamus – and struck out 13. He fanned 14 in his previous start.
DeRamus drove in Salem’s run with game-tying double to left. Magdits retired 13 of the last 14 Oaks’ hitters he faced after DeRamus’ second hit.
The Oaks return to action next weekend with a series against Brookdale CC. It’s a single game on the road Friday and another Saturday doubleheader at home. Brookdale is No. 4 in the NJCAA Division III baseball poll.
“We play in the toughest conference in the country; it’s never easy,” Holt said. “(Northhampton) is No. 6, Brookdale is top 10, (RCSJ) Gloucester is No. 1, Middlesex is getting votes (No. 15 this week) and so is Cumberland. Every week is like this, so we’ve got to come ready to play.”
GAME 1
Northampton CC 10, Salem CC 3
| Northampton CC (13-1) | 016 | 030 | 0- | 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Salem CC (6-7) | 101 | 100 | 0- | 3 | 3 | 5 |
GAME 2
Northampton CC 8, Salem CC 1
| Northampton CC (14-1) | 100 | 030 | 4- | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| Salem CC (6-8) | 100 | 000 | 0- | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Softball sweeps Seahawks
SALEM CC 22-18, CECIL 1-0: The Mighty Oaks showed no rust after being off a week. They tuned up for their home opener and inaugural games at Pennsville LL’s Watson Field Sunday by ripping 31 hits – 11 for extra bases – and scoring 40 runs in sweeping undermanned Cecil College. They had an 11-run inning in each game.
“It was a busy week of just gearing up to get ready to play again after our Spring Break trip down south,” Salem coach Angel Rodriguez said. “We just came ready to put the ball in play and was just excited to get back into game day.”
Courtney Hoggard had the biggest twinbill, going 6-for-7 with seven runs, two homers and eight RBIs, but the Oaks got contributions from everywhere in the lineup.
Ella Hayes led a 17-hit attack in the opener with three hits and five RBIs. Hoggard, Juanic Beukman and Tessa Wise also had three hits. Six players had multiple hits and nine had at least one RBI. Wise and KC Garcia drove in three runs apiece.
Hoggard hit both of her homers in the nightcap, a grand slam in the second inning and an inside-the-park homer in the fourth. Garcia hit a two-run homer in their 11-run fifth inning.
Cecil had only 10 players on its roster. The Seahawks have lost their four games by a combined score of 72-5.
The Oaks (4-4) make their official Pennsville debut Sunday in a noon doubleheader with RCSJ-Cumberland. Academic Advisor Wendy Decker will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
GAME 1
Salem CC 22, Cecil College 1
| Salem CC (3-4) | 4(11)4 | 21- | 22 | 17 | 0 |
| Cecil (0-3) | 100 | 00- | 1 | 4 | 0 |
GAME 2
Salem CC 18, Cecil College 0
| Salem CC (4-4) | 060 | 1(11)- | 18 | 14 | 0 |
| Cecil (0-4) | 000 | 00- | 0 | 5 | 0 |
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