Woodstown pitcher White delivering a punch in the batter’s box for the Wolverines, includes Salem County softball, golf, tennis
THURSDAY SOFTBALL
Clayton 18, Salem 2
Pennsville 17, Wildwood 2
Woodstown 4, Schalick 2
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
ELMER – Whoever said pitchers aren’t supposed to hit or be able to hit? In an era where specialization and designated players are the norm, Woodstown’s Grace White is making it tough to keep the bat out of her hands and out of the lineup.
White, a senior pitcher, came up in the sixth inning Thursday night and delivered the first extra-base hit of her career, a lead-off double to set up an insurance run in the Wolverines’ 4-2 win over Schalick to claim the first Elmer Classic Cup presented by the Elmer Little League.
“She’s been tearing it up,” Woodstown coach Dave Wildermuth said. “And I put her in the 5-hole tonight because she’s been hitting the ball. I didn’t put her there just to (fill a spot).”
The Wolverines were holding a slim 3-2 lead when White came up in the sixth and doubled into left field. Courtesy runner Talia Guardascione moved to third on Alyssa Baber’s groundout and scored the insurance run on Hannah Hitchner’s grounder to short.
The day before White delivered a pinch single to start the Wolverines’ seventh-inning rally against Overbrook and the day before that she had two RBIs against Gloucester Catholic. Since April 15 she is 8-for-20 with four RBIs. She had only one at-bat and two plate appearances (both last year) the previous two seasons combined.
“I haven’t really gotten a chance (to hit) before because they usually do a designated hitter for me, but in practice I’ve been hitting the ball really good, so he gave me a chance,” White said.
What White is better known for, of course, is pitching. On this night she limited the Cougars to two singles and denied Schalick senior Taylor Sparks getting her 100th career hit in three plate appearances.
The two runs Schalick did score came in the fourth when White lost a little of her rhythm and walked the first two batters of the inning. They came in to score on Cayla Sbrana’s two-run single to right that tied the game 2-2. It was the Cougars’ first hit of the game.
It was just a minor hiccup. White retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced and 10 of the last 11. Since returning from the Senior Class Trip last weekend, a rested White has posted three wins in three days, giving up nine hits, three runs and striking out 20 in 15 2/3 innings. The Wolverines play Salem Friday.
“I think it was a really good break from not just softball, but like school and to get away in general,” White said. “I was pitching a lot before that and I think it was just a really good break to come out and get all these wins.”
The Wolverines took a 2-0 lead in the third on Cara Delia’s RBI single and Kayla Brown’s infield out. Delia broke the 2-2 tie with a slow roller back to the pitcher with Tulana Mingin at third.
Mingin had three hits, leaving her with 128 for her career, four shy of the school record. Delia learned a long time ago you don’t have to hit it hard or far to get the run home when Mingin’s on base.
“She’s great, everything to Tulana, she always comes up big,” Delia said. “I know when she gets on base at the beginning of the inning we’re going to score. She’s such a proponent for our team. It’s so great to see her on second base when I come up. It gives me so much confidence when I come up to the plate.
“I just know I’ve got to make contact with Tulana on, especially with less than two outs. She’s always out there, she’s doing her job. Today she got two doubles, basically, just on her smart baserunning, and that’s just so helpful. When we get up there to the plate and I can see her out there, I just know I’m about to hit it hopefully and if I do she’s going to score no matter what.”
Delia grew up playing on the Elmer LL softball fields, so the win was extra special to her. She hit her first varsity home there as a sophomore against Schalick.
“It was like my practice field as a kid, so it’s very nostalgic to be here and it was sad for tonight to be the last time I’m ever going to play on the field,” she said. “That where I feel like my career started. That’s where I got my confidence. The feeling coming to this field every time is, like, stressful, but also I have such good memories.
“I’m happy we came out on top tonight because I can finish my career with a happy memory. I just love being here. It’s the best game of the year, I would say.”
The win moved the Wolverines a step closer to clinching the Tri-County Diamond Division title. It kept them undefeated in division, two games up on Overbrook and three on Schalick in the loss column. All they have left in division play is three games against the two weakest teams.
PENNSVILLE 17, WILDWOOD 2: Bella Farina hit another home run, Lilly Birney went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and Savannah Palverento pitched a five-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts as the Eagles (12-4) won their ninth in a row.
Farina’s homer, her seventh of the year, was a three-run shot that highlighted the Eagles’ 11-run second inning. It also included two-run singles by Birney and Mary Montagna and Sarah Brumbaugh had a two-run double. The Eagles have scored 12 runs or more in seven games of their current winning streak.
CLAYTON 18, SALEM 2: Sophia Petsch went 5-for-5 with three RBIs and spun a five-inning complete game for the Clippers. Julliana Love extended her hitting streak to six games with one of the Rams’ three hits and RBI. Alexandrea Matias and Gianna Pelura had Salem’s other hits.
GOLF
WOODSTOWN 156, TIMBER CREEK 176: Senior Kyle Brainard shot a 3-under-par 33 with an eagle and two birdies at Town & Country Golf Links to lead the Wolverines. Brainard eagled No. 3 and birdied 8 and 9. Jacob Schermerhorn and Joey Olbrich both shot 41.
PENNSVILLE 151, SALEM TECH 169, CLAYTON 185: Dylan Wallen and Jacob Isaac shot 34 and 35, respectively, and the Eagles posted three rounds in the 30s to win the tri-match at . Mason Griffith was Salem Tech’s low man (36). to lead the Eagles.
DEPTFORD 168, SCHALICK 170: Julian Boyer shot 2-under 33 with three birdies at Pitman CC to give Deptford a cushion against the South Jersey Group I champs. Ryan Johnson posted Schalick’s low score (40).
BOYS TENNIS
HADDON HEIGHTS 5, WOODSTOWN 0
Ben Mazzucco (HH) def. Tim Schwienbacher, 6-1, 6-2
Ryan Connor (HH) def. Drew Stengel, 6-2, 6-1
Owen Peakes (HH) def. Jason LaFond, 6-1, 6-0
Mike Pender-Sean Fischer (HH) def. Ben Stengel-Mason Shimp, 3-6, 6-1, 10-6
Jackson Zalkin-Dan Perkins (HH) def. Luke Shaw-Wade Hubschmitt, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1)
Records: Woodstown 10-3, Haddon Heights 9-8
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