Another late loss

Lehigh Carbon scores twice in the seventh after Salem rallies to tie, hands Mighty Oaks third straight loss in late innings

By Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – The bad luck that has shadowed the Salem CC baseball team in recent games continued Wednesday when the Oaks gave up two runs in the seventh inning after tying it an inning earlier in an 11-9 Region XIX loss to Lehigh Carbon at the Carneys Point Rec Complex.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed by the rain that started falling right before the final out of the opener.

The Oaks (7-12) have lost seven of their last eight. Since walking off No. 3 Brookdale in the opening game of that series last week, they have lost four straight. They were blown out by the Blues in Game 2, blew an eight-run lead to them in the rubber game, lost in the bottom of the 10th to Lehigh Carbon Tuesday after tying the game in the ninth and then Wednesday happened.

The Oaks answered Lehigh Carbon’s opening salvo with five in the home first, but continued giving up runs and fell behind 9-7 after three innings. They tied the game in the sixth on back-to-back RBI doubles by Angel Velez and J.D. Wilson.

Matt Decker threw 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief to keep the Oaks in the game into the seventh, but then Cougars (5-6) reached him.

It started when Decker hit Ethan Kauffman with one out. Kauffman stole second and scored the go-ahead run on Hunter Rothrock’s single up the middle. Rothrock stole second, went to third on the throw to first on a dropped third strike and scored the insurance run on winning relief pitcher Robbie Behrens’ RBI single.

Yen Rodriguez gave Salem life in the seventh when Kauffman misplayed his fly to left into a three-base error. But Behrens doused the threat with two infield pops and a grounder to first.

The Oaks had seven hits in the game, five of them doubles. Rodriguez had two of them. Wilson also had two hits.

Lehigh Carbon (5-6)	342	000	2–	11	11	5
Salem CC (7-12)	511	002	0–	9	7	0

Softball

VINELAND – The Mighty Oaks and RCSJ-Cumberland were scheduled to play a doubleheader, but the game were postponed by the Dukes for internal reasons. The teams are looking for a suitable date to reschedule.