Heavy workload

Pennsville baseball in the midst of potentially nine games in eight days, but has won the first three; Schalick uses big inning to beat Overbrook, Woodstown put best Foote forward

BASEBALL
Pennsville 11, Pitman 1
Schalick 12, Overbrook 5
Woodstown 7, Glassboro 1

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Matt Karr has never coached through a stretch of games the likes of which his Pennsville baseball team currently finds itself. Getting through it takes a lot of planning, patience and even more pitching, but so far the Eagles have managed it.

Playing the third of what potentially could be nine games in eight days, the Eagles pummeled Tri-County Classic Division rival Pitman 11-1 Thursday to become the only undefeated team left in division play.

The gauntlet started with wins Tuesday at Wildwood and Wednesday at Millville. Before it ends next Tuesday against Schalick, the Eagles will play Williamstown Friday, two games in the Oakcrest Tournament Saturday, a possible tournament game Sunday and Glassboro Monday. They were scheduled to play Clayton Wednesday, making it 10 games in nine days, but they smartly moved it.

Even MLB teams get a day off every now and then. The Phillies just completed a stretch of 13 consecutive games and start another one Friday that includes 10 on the road and a trip to the West Coast.

The Eagles certainly want to win every one of the nine games, so to go 9-0 would be “impressive” and Karr would give this players off from practice the day of the prom if it happened, but in reality the approach to the entire stretch is quite simple.

“It is super cliché, but the approach is just take it one game, one pitch at a time,” Karr said. “Our plan changes from inning to inning, game to game, based on results, how the game’s flowing, what we think we need to do to get a win in the moment. We like to plan ahead, but at the same time you’ve got to deal with what’s going on in the present and that’s the way we approach it.

“Today was a situation where the opportunity presented itself to get Peyton (O’Brien) off the mound early and have him available for the weekend. Those other guys come in, they throw a quick inning, now they’re available for the weekend. That’s all it is, just playing puzzle pieces, trying to figure out who can fit where and do what.”

The players understand the challenge, especially for a team with as limited numbers as the Eagles, but they’re also confident in their ability to get the job done.

“I think it’ll be challenging but I think our team is good enough to play nine games and win them all,” centerfielder and possible emergency pitcher Chase Burchfield said.

“It’s definitely going to be tough, especially for our arms, especially with a small team like us where we all have to play,” O’Brien said. “So far we’ve done a good job, but it’s going to be tougher the more games we play.”

The Eagles made things quick and easy Thursday, scoring three in the second and breaking it open with eight in the third. Meanwhile, O’Brien was sharp in his three innings and because the Eagles had such a comfortable lead they were able to get the hard-throwing righthander out of the game sooner than later, which is a key to surviving what a team with a limited roster is going through. 

O’Brien gave up two hits – back-to-back singles in the first inning – and struck out six. Then he gave way to Cohen Petrutz and Logan Streitz for the final two innings.

“I felt really good,” O’Brien said. “I felt like they couldn’t really hit me. Even their hits were a little weak. But I felt good out there, kept going at it, felt confident.”

The lineup backed him from every spot. The Eagles had 11 hits. Eight of their nine starters got one and all nine scored at least one run.

Freshman Mason O’Brien was 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs at the top of the lineup. Sophomore Streitz had two hits and two RBIs in the 9-hole. Burchfield chased home the two runs that put the game into run-rule mode and he threw a runner out at the plate on one bounce from center to keep it that way.

Karr called the whole day an embodiment of the next-man-up mentality the coaching staff has been preaching all year, a message that’s particularly poignant for this current stretch.

“My arm has been feeling good lately,” Burchfield said. “When I saw it down and I saw the kid running I was like ‘I’ve got to throw this ball hard.’ I didn’t try to bounce it, I was trying to throw it in the air, but it happened to bounce. Perfect throw. And it went between the two guys. It was nice. I’m hoping I can do that on the pitcher’s mound.”

The throw it hard part. Not the bouncing it to the plate.

SCHALICK 12, OVERBROOK 5: Enrico Hatz had a tie-breaking single, two-run double and successful steal of home in a 10-run sixth inning that sent Schalick to its second straight win and back to .500 for the first time since April 6.

The Cougars (4-4) sent 15 batters to the plate in their big inning. They had five hits, five walks and two hit batsmen. Three of the walks and hit batsmen drove home runs.

“We were hitting the ball better each inning, but couldn’t get things going,” Cougars coach Sean O’Brien said. “We finally started to come up with some big hits with runners in scoring position and broke it open in the sixth with some timely hits.”

J.T. Fleming, Jake Siedlecki, Hatz and Elijah Cummings all had two hits in the game. Matthew Lamazza, Cummings and Fleming all had two of RBIs.

The Cougars have scored 10 runs or more in all four of their victories.

WOODSTOWN 7, GLASSBORO 1: Brent Williams went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and Aaron Foote pitched a complete-game two-hitter with six strikeouts as the Wolverines (5-4) won for the third time in their last four games and back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Ty Coblentz had two hits and Rocco String had two RBIs. Foote lost his shutout to an unearned run in the seventh inning.