‘A good win’

Pennsville softball opens a busy week with a victory over county rival Woodstown; Schalick uses two big innings to pick up its first win of the season

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – It was a strange game on so many fronts, but in the end, Pennsville pulled out a big victory to start what for the Eagles is a week of big games.

The Eagles took down county rival Woodstown 7-3 Monday. The game time was pushed back a half-hour to allow the solar eclipse to run its course. The Eagles arrived at 3 p.m. to find an empty stadium as the Wolverines waited things out in the gym, but it did allow them to experience the celestial event.

When the game did get underway, they lost their starting pitcher to a blister blowout in the fifth inning, but their reliever kept the hard-hitting Wolverines off the board the rest of the way.

“It was just a crazy afternoon,” Pennsville coach Beth Jackson said.

Savannah Palverento started in the circle for the Eagles (3-1) and was pitching through a blister on her throwing hand that developed during Saturday’s doubleheader. It finally burst in the fifth inning, forcing her out of the circle into left field and calling Sierra Stultz out of the bullpen.

Palverento gave up three runs in the first two innings, but kept the Wolverines off the board up to the time she came out with one out in the bottom of the fifth and Stultz shut them out on three hits the rest of the way. Lilly Birney helped keep Woodstown off the board with a great catch in centerfield in the seventh.

“The two of them pitched well,” Jackson said. “Sierra came in and helped out and did her job. We had a couple hiccups in the field, but other than that the girls were making the plays. Lilly Birney made an excellent play in centerfield in the bottom of the seventh.”

Palverento’s availability to pitch the rest of the week wasn’t immediately certain.

Woodstown (2-1) scored a pair of runs in the first on Ellie Wygand’s RBI single and Katie Brown’s run-scoring fielder’s choice. Pennsville scored four runs in the second on a pair of errors to take the lead. Five of Pennsville’s runs were unearned.

Birney and Reagan Wariwanchik each had two hits for the Eagles.

“Our whole lineup was hitting the ball, making contact,” Jackson said. “There were a few plays we took advantage of and we added on with some hits.

“We hit the ball pretty much through the lineup, put the ball in play. My dad always says put the ball in play, good things will happen.”

The Eagles didn’t have any more luck getting Woodstown leadoff hitter Tulana Mingin out than anybody else that has played the Wolverines this year. Mingin reached base all four times she batted, extending her streak of reaching safely to 14 straight plate appearances going back to last season. The single she got in the sixth inning ran her career total to 104 hits.

“This was a good win,” Jackson said. “Like I said to them, playing Millville and Ocean City on Saturday. I think that really helped prepare them for this week.

“That was my post on Instagram. I said we went 1-1 and no rest for the weary next week. We’re playing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. We have a tough week and I think this was a good way to start this week.”

SCHALICK 16, CLAYTON 2: The Cougars put together a pair of seven-run innings to score their first win of the season.

Alex Shimp had a pair of hits and three RBIs to lead the offense and Abby Willoughby spun a complete game with eight strikeouts. Cloe Elliott also had two hits, while Addi Shimp, Taylor Sparks, Ava Scurry, Cayla Sbrana and Willoughby all had one.