WOODSTOWN – When Liv Boultinghouse stepped into the circle for Woodstown’s season opener Friday afternoon, the thoughts going through her head were solely on the things she needed to do to get hitters out. The surgery she had in November was the farthest thing from her mind.
Considering all she has gone through in her playing career, some might think it a minor miracle she was even in the circle at all. The surgery she had on her right, push-off ankle was the third on the joint in seven years, but she didn’t give it another thought as she faced down rival Schalick in Top-15 South Jersey matchup on Opening Day of coach Dave Wildermuth’s final season.
The senior right-hander gave up six singles, one earned run, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter over five innings in the Wolverines’ 15-3 win over the Cougars.
“I’ve been dealing with this since I was 6 years old,” Boultinghouse said of the ankle troubles. “Nobody ever figured out what it was until 2017.”
She’s had surgeries on the ankle every three years since – 2017, 2020, 2023 – with the latest being the most intricate, cutting out scar tissue and the nerves entrapped within it. Through it all she was determined to keep pitching, this year more than ever.
And that became a reality when Wildermuth handed her the ball as the Opening Day starter he knew she was going to be all along.
“It felt really good,” she said. “I knew I was going to be able to do it. I was eager to get in the circle and play in the game.”
She promptly threw strikes on her first four pitches of the game and threw only one ball in the first inning. She threw 66 pitches total, 54 for strikes. She gave up a run in each of the first two innings, but once she found her rhythm – and her offense supported her with a bunch of runs – she was dominant.
“She’s a gamer,” Wildermuth said. “I don’t think she had any walks today. She’s a strike machine; she throws the ball over the plate. She’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but if you’re going to beat her you’re going to have to hit the ball because she’s not going to give you any free passes.”
After falling behind early, the Wolverines took the lead with four in the bottom of the second. Ellie Wygand’s two-run single broke a 2-2 tie and gave them the lead for good. They broke it open with nine in the third, highlighted by Wygand’s two-run triple.
“I was a little worried about coming out slow because we hadn’t been able to get outside, hadn’t been able to get on the field, hadn’t been able to see any live pitching,” Wildermuth said. “But I knew we were going to put the ball in play, and we did.”
The Wolverines pounded out 13 hits in the game, including five doubles and a triple. Cara Delia and Lila Bowling each had three hits, Tulana Mingin and Wygand each had two.
Mingin, the leadoff hitter, went 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. She walked her first two times up, hit a game-tying two-run double in the third and a single in the fourth. She now has 99 career hits and can hit the century mark Saturday against Camden Catholic.
When it comes, she will be the 11th player in program history with 100 hits or more and the first to reach the milestone since 2018.
“I did the best I could with what I was given,” Mingin said. “I guess it’ll just make tomorrow a little bit less pressure because it’s only one hit I’m looking for. I’ll get it when I get it. I can’t worry about that.”
The game marked the start of Wildermuth’s final season with the Wolverines. He’s retiring at the end of the school year. Mingin has said the players want to give their coach “the best last season.”
Wildermuth, meanwhile, isn’t thinking about anything but the season in front of him and what it’s going to take to make a deep run in the playoffs.
“I’m really not thinking about the end of the season yet, I’ll think about that when we get down towards the end of the season,” he said. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy my time with this team and spending time with the girls and being out there and trying to win and have fun.
“When the time comes it’ll be pretty emotional for all of us, but right now I’m just trying to take it one game at a time.”
PENNSVILLE 27, PENNS GROVE 0: Kylie Harris went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and the next four hitters in the Pennsville lineup drew a total of 13 walks. The first five hitters were a combined 6-for-9 with 14 walks and 12 runs scored.
Savannah Palverento walked three times and scored five runs. Avery Watson was officially 0-for-0 in the game, but walked four times and scored four runs. Sierra Stultz allowed two hits from the circle, walked none and struck out seven in four innings.
PENNSVILLE 27, PENNS GROVE 0
Penns Grove (0-1)
000 0-
0 2 3
Pennsville (1-0)
9(13)5 x-
27 8 0
WP: Sierra Stultz. LP: Yeneris Garcia. 2b: Kylie Harris (Pv).
Riverview Sports News 