Tri-Cape wins opener

Combo league stars drill Burlco 13-6, all 3 Salem County stars play, give ‘solid’ performances

CARPENTER CUP BASEBALL CLASSIC
Tuesday’s Results
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Philadelphia Catholic 4, Bux-Mont 1
Tri-Cape 13, Burlington County 6
Philadelphia Public 4, Delaware North 3
Delaware County 6, Delaware South 3
Thursday’s Games
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Inter-Ac/Independents vs. SEPA, 9 a.m. (Dick Allen Field)
Chester County vs. Jersey Shore, 10:30 a.m. (Richie Ashburn Field)
Philadelphia Catholic vs. Tri-Cape, 12:30 p.m. (Dick Allen Field)
Philadelphia Public vs. Delaware County, 2 p.m. (Richie Ashburn Field)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – It just goes to show the kind of team the Tri-Cape all-stars draft every year when they don’t get to work out together before they play in the Carpenter Cup and then have the kind of success they enjoy in the tournament.

The Tri-Cape stars’ opened their bid for a fourth straight trip to the Carpenter Cup championship game Monday with a 13-6 win over Burlington County on the Urban Youth Academy Fields at FDR Park.

In the highest-scoring game of the opening round, the Tri-Cape stars pounded 14 hits and scored almost as many runs as the day’s other three winners combined. They answered Burlco’s three-run third with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take control.

Actually, in all three innings Burlington scored Tri-Cape answered with at least one run to maintain its lead.

“We’ve never done it,” Tri-Cape manager D.J. Gore said of a pre-tournament practice. “It’s not that we wouldn’t like to, but at the same time Gloucester Catholic, Delsea, St. Augustine are playing in state championship games on Friday and Saturday and that takes precedent. This is a showcase. It’s to represent our two conferences.

“They’re all-star caliber kids,. They’re All-South Jersey kids. They’re kids that hit most likely in their high-school lineup either first, second, third or fourth, and you have a collection of them. They’re the best of what I think we have to offer in the Tri-County/Cape Atlantic Conferences. (The result) is a byproduct of that.”

You can’t argue with their results. Tri-Cape has been a fixture in the finals, nailing down the title in 2021 and 2022 and playing for it again last year.

All three Salem County players on this year’s Tri-Cape roster – Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky and Pennsville teammates Chase Burchfield and Peyton O’Brien – got in the opener and gave what Gore called “a solid performance.”

Pokrovsky was the last of seven pitchers Gore used in the game. The Cougars’ junior left-hander got the final two outs to preserve the victory. He faced two batters, walked one and struck out one. One of his outs was recorded at the plate.

He was part of a back end of the Tri-Cape bullpen that pitched four shutout innings and allowed just three hits and a walk. Mainland senior Brady Blum struck out all three batters he faced in an eighth-inning jam. St. Augustine senior J.P. Podgorski worked the first three innings and was credited with the win.

“The idea behind it all was with Luke you need to be able to close games out and we needed to be able to be in a position to where we had an elite arm at the end of the game because at one point it was an 8-6 game,” Gore said.

Burchfield was hitless in three at-bats off the bench as the designated hitter, but he hit the ball hard all three times he came to the plate and drove in a run. One of the his rockets was misplayed in centerfield for an error. He almost beat out a grounder in the infield in his last at-bat.

O’Brien played first base and went 0-for-1 with a walk. Still, it was a red-letter day for the Eagles junior. On top of being part of the deepest team he’s ever played on, it was his 17th birthday and he passed his driver’s test before arriving at the ballpark.

“It was awesome,” O’Brien said. “There were a lot of good players out there and it was a really cool experience. I can’t speak for everybody else, but me and Chase were extremely honored to get the chance to go out there and play for Tri-Cape because we know how big a deal it is.”

Despite having a freshly printed New Jersey driver’s license in his back pocket, O’Brien didn’t drive himself to the game.

“My dad wasn’t ready for that yet,” he said.

The team now now plays the Philadelphia Catholic League stars Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The winner gets a spot in Monday’s semifinals in Citizens Bank Park. The PCL stars advanced with a 4-1 one-hitter over Bux-Mont.

Gore’s plan is to have a similar approach with his pitchers.

“We’re going to get some guys back who we didn’t have available today,” he said. “It’s the next game to win. This next game is what gets you into Citizens Bank Park, which has always been the No. 1 goal: To get these kids on that field, give them that experience in a major-league stadium.“

As for the newest driver on the team, he probably has a better chance driving home a run Thursday than driving to the game.

“It’s still up in the air,” O’Brien said, “but I’m guessing probably not.”

Burlington County	003	120	000-	6	10	4
Tri-Cape	007	110	31X-	13	14	3

WP: J.P. Podgorski (1-0). LP: Ben Hudson (0-1). 2B: Andrew Shank (BC), Guy Lynam (TC). 3B: Noah Danza (TC). RBI-Burlington County: Reid Uccello, Andrew Shank 2, Nick Merunka; Tri-Cape: Frank Master 2, Evan Taylor, Jack Mustaro, Tommy Popoff 2, Jake Slusarski 2, Ryan Manning, Jake Meyers, Matt Johansen, Ethan Mitnick, Chase Burchfield.

Hadfield doubles

Schalick junior wins 1600 to go along with the 3200 she won Friday; Woodstown’s boys 4×800 relay also brings home gold Saturday

By Riverview Sports News

SOMERSET – Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield became a double winner, Woodstown’s boys won the 4×800 relay and the Salem and Schalick girls finished 4-5 in the team standings to highlight Saturday’s final day of the NJSIAA Group I track championship at Franklin High School.

Hadfield used a strong closing kick for the second day in a row to win the girls 1600 to go with the 3200 she pulled out at the finish on Friday. Her winning time was 5:07.66.

Interestingly, the order of finish in the 1600 was the same as the 3200 the day before: Hadfield, Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer and Audubon’s Riley Fayer.running fourth most of the race with Fayer and Einreinhofer running 1-2 and Kinnelon’s Grace Mougalian third.

She had been running fourth most of the race with Fayer and Einreinhofer running 1-2 and Kinnelon’s Grace Mongolian in third, but put on a burst over the final 400 meters, running the leg in 1:11.64. It was the fastest closing leg in the race and second overall only to Fayer’s opening 1:10.86.

Woodstown 4×800 boys relay (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas) took the lead from Hasbrouck Heights in Split 5 and kept it the rest of the race. Their winning time of 8:11.67 beat runner-up Woodbury by nearly a second. The Wolverines’ girls 4×8 finished third in their race. They were as far back as 10th early in the race, but made up five spots by the midpoint and were running second after split 7 before being overtaken.

Salem’s girls finished fourth as a team with 40 points. Schalick pulled within one point of the Rams with its fourth-place finish in the 4×400 relay.

Third-place finishes by Salem County athletes Saturday included Salem’s Anna Buzby (400) and Karima Davenport-White (100 hurdles) and Schalick’s Grace O’Neill (discus).

O’Neill missed her goal of setting the school discus record by seven inches, but she is a projected wildcard qualifier for next week’s Meet of Champions.

This story will be updated.

NJSIAA GROUP I CHAMPIONSHIP
SOMERSET – Here are the Saturday Day Two results for Salem County’s qualifiers in the Group I state meet at Franklin HS (Friday’s results have been previously posted). The top 2 finishers in each event qualify for Meet of Champions (plus next 16 best regardless of class); top six finishers in each event score points for their team:

BOYS FINAL TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Woodbury 78, Glassboro 57, Hasbrouck Heights 38, Riverside 38, Audubon 31, Manville 30, Gloucester City 26, Cresskill 20, Burlington City 20, Florence 18. T-18 Salem 10, T-18, Woodstown 10, 26. Schalick 6, 29, Penns Grove 4
4×800: 1. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas), 8:11.67; 8. Schalick 8:39.61; 11. Salem 8:45.24.
1600: 12. Matthew Tozer, Schalick, 4:39.22
4×400: 4. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Jacob Carter, David Stewart, Steve Chomo), 3:30.55
Javelin: 7. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 156-10; 10. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 150-2
Long jump: 9. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 20-4.5
Pole vault: 5. Salvatore Longo, Schalick, 11-6

GIRLS FINAL TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Hasbrouck Heights 70, Audubon 52, Clayton 46.33, Salem 40, Schalick 39, Woodbury 35, Ridgefield Memorial 30, Dayton 24, Wallkill Valley 18.33, Emerson 18. T-17 Pennsville 10, T-19 Woodstown 8.
400: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 57.80
4×800: 3. Woodstown (Kayla Ayars, Sarah Seiden, Arie Still, Lillian Norman), 10:05.92; 8. Schalick 10:39.28
100 hurdles: 3. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 15.85; 5. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 15.87
200: 6. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 26.75
1600: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:07.66; 17. Lillian Norman, Woodstown, 5:53.15
4×400: 4. Schalick (Alivia Klancic, Grace O’Neill, Jordan Hadfield, Gia Martellacci), 4:09.94
Discus: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 132-2
Triple jump: 11. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 33-6.75; 13. Calista Hunt, Woodstown, 33-3.75; 18. Molly Curtis, Woodstown, 32-4
High jump: 5. Kami Casiano, Woodstown, 4-10

Striking gold

Three Salem County individuals and one relay win events on Day One of the NJSIAA Group I track championships; Salem’s girls current third in team standings

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SOMERSET – Three individual athletes and one relay team brought back gold to Salem County Friday in the first day of the NJSIAA Group I state track meet at Franklin High School.

Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson won the boys triple jump, Pennsville’s Megan Morris won the girls pole vault, Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield won the girls 3200 and Salem’s girls won the 4×100 relay to highlight the locals’ first day of competition.

Salem’s girls are currently third in the team standings with 27 points, three behind second-place Audubon. Hasbrouck Heights leads with 42 points.

“Today was a great day all around,” Salem senior Karima Davenport-White said.

The Rams’ relay team won with a school-record time of 49.63 and hit the tape five-hundredths of a second ahead of runner-up Woodbury after Rhionna Timmons ran what coach Spencer Jarrett called “the best anchor of her life.”

The other members of the relay were Sairis Jimenez, Davenport-White and Morgan VanDover.

“For me, it’s a huge deal since I’ve been on the 4×1 relay since my freshman year,” Davenport-White said. “So this is everything finally paying off, all the hard work and sacrifice.”

Davenport-White also finished third in the long jump, breaking Timmons’ school record with a jump of 17-2; Timmons finished fifth. Teammate Anna Buzby finished third in the girls 800 and sixth in the 400 hurdles and pole vault, and Dominique Lewis was sixth in the shot.

“Today was a great day,” Jarrett said.

Jackson gave the Rams their second state champion of the day when he repeated in the boys triple jump with a career-best jump of 46-feet, 4-inches. The man they call “Pop” led after the first round of jumps, hit his eventual winning jump on his second attempt and nearly matched it on his third jump.

He won by eight inches, but had to sweat it out as Cresskill runner-up Joshua Yoon (45-8) and Cartrell Moore of Glassboro (45-7) came after him hard.

“I knew out of the box it was going to be a dogfight, I tried to put my head down and just fight,” Jackson said. “I kept telling myself at the back of the runway I’m there, I’m knocking on the door, they’ve got to let me in.”

Morris won the girls pole vault with a personal-best 10-0. She hit all three of her progressive heights on the first attempt and made her winning jump on the second try at the height. She made an effort at 10-3 after securing the victory but fatigue got the best of her.

“I’ve been working really hard throughout the whole season,” Morris said. “I was really excited when I got it. Once I got 9-6 I knew I had 10 in me and that’s what made me win.

“The whole entire time the main thing I was excited for is to get my name on the banner for state championships so I could make my mark in Pennsville. I was definitely excited, but I think the person who was more excited than me was my dad with the video. He was screaming and going crazy.”

Hadfield won the girls 3200 in a time of 11:03.29.

It was a three-person race the whole way with Hadfield, Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer and Audubon’s Riley Fayer running up front and Hadfield and Einreinhofer swapping leads every lap. Finally, with about 50 meters to go, Hadfield decided she was going to win the race, went for it and hit the tape first with more than a second to spare.

“Last week (at sectionals) wasn’t her best performance and she was kind of upset about that, so she wanted to make sure she went out strong and ran better this weekend and did really well,” Cougars coach Missy Pine said.

All the event winners and runner-ups automatically qualify for the Meet of Champions. The rest await word of wildcard berths to the next 16 best times in each event regardless of classification.

Schalick’s Grace O’Neill scored with a third-place finish in the 400 hurdles and the Cougars’ 4×1 relay placed sixth. On the boys’ side, Khalim Smith of Penns Grove was fourth in the triple jump.

The meet wraps up Saturday.

NJSIAA GROUP I CHAMPIONSHIPS
SOMERSET – Here are the results of Salem County’s qualifiers to the Group I state meet Friday at Franklin HS. The top 2 finishers in each event qualify for Meet of Champions (plus next 16 best regardless of class); top six finishers in each event score points for their team

BOYS TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Glassboro 37, Woodbury 30, Manville 22, Riverside 18, Hasbrouck Heights 17, Gloucester 15, Salem 10, Audubon 10, Burlington City 10, Florence 10.
4×100: 7. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Michael Eberl, David Stewart, Levi Feeney-Childers) 43.95
800: 8. Joshua Crawford, Woodstown, 1:59.49; 15. Cole Lucas, Woodstown, 2:07.24
3200: 15. Jacob Marino, Woodstown, 10:40.68
Discus: 13. Ethan McLean, Schalick, 130-0
Triple jump: 1. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 46-4, 4. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 44-3.5; 7. David Stewart, Schalick, 43-0.5.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Hasbrouck Heights 42, Audubon 30, Salem 27, Clayton 18, Schalick 17, Woodbury 16, Dayton 14, Verona 13, Pennsville 10, Haddon Twp. 10, Ridgefield 10, Kinnelon 10, Mountain Lakes 10.
4×100: 1. Salem (Sairis Jiminez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan VanDover, Rhionna Timmons) 49.63; 6. Schalick (Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci, Caileigh Schalick, Brooke Watt) 51.44
800: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 2:21.26
400 hurdles: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:07.03; 6. Anna Buzby, Salem, 1:08.57
3200: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:03.29
Shot put: 6. Dominique Lewis, Salem, 34-3; 9. Ava Rodgers, Salem, 32-9
Javelin: 7. Allyson Green, Schalick, 101-1
Long jump: 3. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 17-2; 5. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 16-7
Pole vault: 1. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 10-0; 6. Anna Buzby, Salem, 8-6

One last hurrah

With priorities shifting going forward, Schalick’s Siedlecki looking to have some fun in his final high school football game

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The toughest day for any competitive athlete is the day they take the field for the last time. Jake Siedlecki wasn’t sure when that day might come while he was playing except to know it was going to come someday.

SUNDAY, 5 P.M.
KEAN UNIVERSITY

Now that it’s upon him, instead of wallowing in sadness and nostalgia, he intends to embrace the experience and have fun with it.

The Schalick senior will play the final game of his four-year high school football career Sunday when he takes part in the Phil Simms NJ North-South All-Star Classic at Kean University. But instead of feeling down about reaching the end of the competitive line, he plans to have as much fun as the day allows.

“In terms of it being my last football game ever, I haven’t really thought about it in that way,” Siedlecki said. “I feel like my ‘last football’ football game, one that meant something I would remember on the field, would be the (Central Jersey Group I) championship game (against Glassboro).

“This I feel like is going to be a fun experience. I’m playing against some major competition and I get one last hurrah. It’s not like I’ll be playing the whole game. Whatever time I get out there it’s like one last hurrah that I get to have fun all weekend. Yeah, it’s my last football game, but it’s not really like a football game, it’s more of just an experience, the last experience on the field. This is kind of something that I earned and I’m able to just go out there and have fun.”

During his high school career Siedlecki has evolved from one of the few freshmen on coach Mike Wilson’s first Schalick team – the freshman with the broken arm – to one of the mainstays in the Cougars’ resurgence.

This past season he made 32 tackles and a team-leading five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Gloucester Catholic. He also was their leading receiver with 321 yards and four TDs.

He’ll be one of three Salem County players in the game. Woodstown defensive end Damien Eichler and Penns Grove tight end Willie Slocum are also on the South roster. The players check in Friday for two days of workouts and other activities then play 5 p.m. Sunday.

Just like all the players in the game, Siedlecki is heading off to college later this summer. Unlike those guys, however, he doesn’t plan to play football there. He’s going to Villanova to pursue a business degree, and unless he gets a walk-on opportunity (which he hasn’t completely ruled out) the next snap he takes will be in an intramural game with his fraternity buddies.

“Part of me thinks he really means that,” Wilson said. “The other part of me is going after he hits somebody for the first time he might change his mind, like, ah, I kind of miss this.”

He’ll have plenty of chances to make a play. According to the rules of the game everybody has to play the same amount, so with four safeties on the team each will play half the game.

It’s not like Siedlecki didn’t look into playing football in college. He considered two local options, Rowan and Ursinus, and had the promise of roster spots at two elite Division III colleges in New England. He also was accepted to numerous Power 5 universities for academics, but when he looked at the big picture, Villanova even without sports was better in the long run for his future.

“I’m sure one of the biggest questions that’s going to be passed around is where you guys going to commit,” he said. “They’re probably all going to say their college and I’m going to be like I’m going to Villanova but not for football. It might be a little weird, but at the same time I’m sure once I say I’m one of the top in my class and I got a good deal at Villanova they’ll understand.”

Adding to the emotion of the weekend is player and coach will get one more go-round together. Wilson is the South’s defensive coordinator.

“It’s bittersweet that we get to do one more game together, because usually you don’t get that opportunity,” Wilson said. “I’m biased because I think he can play another four or five years, but he gets the opportunity (this weekend), he deserves the opportunity. Either way, we’re going to take it for what it’s worth, enjoy the weekend, have fun and hopefully the South wins.”

That would be historical. The series is tied 20-20-2. The South hasn’t won the game since 2018.

While Siedlecki is preparing to have fun this weekend, there’s going to come a time Sunday when the clock runs out and it’ll all be over. He’s prepared.

“There’s definitely going to be sadness,” he said. “The closest thing to that was the championship game. When that clock hit 0:00 there was a moment of realization when I thought this is the last time I’ll be on this field, the last time I’ll be doing these things.

“Your mind just goes through all the experiences you’ve had over and over again because football is life and now it’s not anymore. I’m assuming it’ll be the same experience on Sunday. I’ll probably take a few minutes on the field to take it all in.”

Schalick signing day

Cougars recognize 12 senior athletes across eight sports who have signed to continue their academic and athletic careers in college

By Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The paperwork has long been signed, sent and filed and the high school seniors safely in place for their schools of the future. This was a day to celebrate their decisions.

Schalick High School recognized 12 seniors Wednesday who have signed with colleges to continue their athletic and academic careers.

**Schalick track athletes Grace O’Neill (L) and Sophia Longo wait for their turns in the individual portion of the school’s senior signing recognition Wednesday.**

The group included five for track and field – Brooke Watt (Rowan), Grace O’Neill (Monmouth), Sophia Longo (Rowan), Katie Little (Rowan) and Alivia Klancic (Stevenson) – golfer Hannah Widdifield (Kean); field hockey’s Ella Shimp (Susquehanna); swimmer Ella Price (College of New Jersey); soccer goalie Carly Hayman (Jefferson); Salem County boys cross country champion Charles Fuerneisen (Mars Hill); boys tennis No. 2 singles Jesus Espinoza Arias (RCSJ-Gloucester); and cheer’s Cianna Gaines (Rowan).

The track signees head off for one last hurrah together this weekend when the Cougars compete in the NJSIAA Group I Championship at Franklin High School.

It’ll be a bittersweet weekend for the seniors. Three of them – Watt, Longo and Little – will continue as teammates at Rowan. Klancic is headed to Stevenson and O’Neill is bound for Monmouth.

“It’s going to be emotional,” O’Neill said. “We’re going to go out there, we’re going to fight hard for whatever we have in us; it’s just going to be an amazing time. I know my last event is going to be the 4×4 and it’s going to be pretty emotional.

“A lot of us have gotten a stronger bond since the season started. It’s amazing we got to do this all together.”

O’Neill considered joining the group of Rowan, but Monmouth offered the academic curriculum she wants to pursue.

“I will miss them so much,” she said. “A lot of the girls on the track team pursuing it at Rowan are some of my best friends so I’m obviously going to be supporting them from afar and I’m sure they’ll be doing the same for me.”

Schalick golfer Hannah Widdifield (R) celebrates her college with boyfriend Ryan Johnson Wednesday. Widdifield is headed to play for Kean’s startup program, while Johnson will enroll in the PGA Golf Management program at Coastal Carolina.

O’Neill was one of the standouts in the Salem County Meet. She PR’d in every event she entered in the Salem County Meet and last weekend qualified for states in the 400 hurdles and discus, where she’s looking to set the school record. She’s on the 4×800 relay with Longo and the 4×400 relay with Klancic.

Among the other signees, Widdifield solidified her position as a trailblazer.

The 2024 county runnerup is the first girls golfer from Schalick to play college golf and one of the first signees of Kean’s start-up women’s program. The Cougars will start competing in the fall of 2024..

“(When) I feel like I’m one of the first on both teams, it just makes me feel like I really accomplished something,” Widdifield said. “I’ve strived to reach my goals and it really worked out well for me. Being the first girl, though, is kind of shocking because I never thought this would happen because I only started playing last year.”

A few hours after the signing recognition, the Cougars held their Spring Sports Award Banquet.

Tri-Cape trio

Salem County puts 3 players on this year’s Tri-Cape Carpenter Cup baseball roster, team opens play vs. Burlington County June 11; softball opens June 17

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Schalick pitcher Luke Pokrovsky will extend a unique family legacy next week as joins his two older brothers in playing on the Tri-Cape Carpenter Cup baseball team.

Pokrovsky is joined by Pennsville teammates Peyton O’Brien and Chase Burchfield as the Salem County representatives on the 25-man Tri-Cape roster that once again is expected to contend for the Cup.

The combo league’s all-stars have been in the final each of the last three years, winning it in 2021 and ’22. This year’s team opens the tournament against Burlington County at 10 a.m. June 11 on the Richie Ashburn Field at FDR Park. A win sends them to play either Philadelphia Catholic or Bux-Mont at 12:30 p.m. June 13, with that winner heading to the Final Four in Citizens Bank Park.

Pokrovsky, a junior left-handed pitcher, is the third member of his family to play for the team, joining older brothers Staus and Jarrett in the classic.

“One of the cool things with doing this a long time, and I don’t know this to be 100 percent factual, but I don’t know if anybody’s ever gone through three sets of brothers,” Tri-Cape head coach D.J. Gore said. “This will be the third Pokrovsky who has played in the Carpenter Cup for us. I think it’s a pretty interesting fact.

“To have one son to excel in it is something. To have two is quite remarkable. But now there’s a third one. We’re looking to see him up close in person. I’ve seen him in a scrimmage, he pitched against us (Highland), but we’re looking to see in actual game-day live. He seems special. He seems like his two other brothers, but he’s also a little bit different because he’s a pitcher.”

All three Salem County all-stars had banner years for their South Jersey Group I playoff teams.

Pokrovsky made 12 appearances on the mound with 122 strikeouts and a 1.09 ERA in 57 2/3 innings. He struck out 16 three times (Gloucester, Overbrook, Paulsboro) and in one 20 2/3-, 10-day stretch fanned 44 and allowed four hits (with a no-hitter against Wildwood). He allowed one hit or less over six or more innings four times.

At the plate he batted .500 with 40 hits with six homers and 27 RBIs.

“You can play deep in this tournament because of your starting pitching,” Gore said. “Obviously over the past three years we’ve had really, really good starting pitching and that’s why we’ve been successful.”

Burchfield was the Eagles’ leading hitter with a .476 average and .707 slugging percentage. He had 39 hits, three homers and 39 RBIs. O’Brien was their second-leading hitter with a .439 average and .634 slugging percentage. He had 36 hits, 12 doubles, and 25 RBIs.

It’s the second year in a row Pennsville coach Matt Karr has had a player on the team and the first time in his tenure the Eagles have had multiple players. Luke Wood was on the team last year.

“The kids from Pennsville are both pretty special,” Gore said. “There’s always been a kid from Pennsville on there. To have multiple ones I think shows you what type of kid is down there right now.

“Statistically speaking, their numbers are off the charts and they play a really good schedule. You’re just looking to see them kind of mesh in this team environment with the 23 other guys who are on there.

“That’s the biggest thing, just getting these guys to mesh in together. For the most part we’re taking everybody’s best player off of their team and putting them into one team and just showing up for basically one day. You hope to win Game 1 that gets you to Game 2 and if you win two games you’re playing in Citizens Bank Park, which is the ultimate goal for all these kids to play there at least once.”

The Softball Carpenter Cup opens June 17. The Tri-Cape team plays Bracket B opponents Delaware South (noon), Inter-Ac (4 p.m.) and Philadelphia PCCAF (6 p.m.) the first day. The top two teams from each of the four brackets advance to the knockout round June 19.

Pennsville’s Beth Jackson and Schalick’s Rick Higinbotham will again serve on the coaching staff.

Here’s the Tri-Cape baseball roster:

PITCHERS: Matt Kouser (St. Augustine), J.P. Podgorski (St. Augustine), Travis Large (Ocean City); Tate DeRias (Gloucester Catholic), Frank Cairone (Delsea), Luke Pokrovsky (Schalick), Nate Bott (Kingsway).

INFIELDERS: Sergio Droz (Millville), Evan Taylor (Ocean City), Ethan Mitnick (Mainland), Jake Cagna (Egg Harbor Twp.), Jason Salsbery (Egg Harbor Twp.), Jack Mustaro (Gloucester Catholic), Noah Danza (Gloucester Catholic), Peyton O’Brien (Pennsville), Chris Smith (Washington Twp.).

OUTFIELDERS: Jake Meyers (St. Augustine), Ryan Manning (Cedar Creek), Hunter Ray (Lower Cape May), Jake Slusarski (Williamstown), Frank Master (Delsea), Zach Maxwell (Delsea), Chase Burchfield (Pennsville).

CATCHERS: Matt Johansen (Absegami), Tommy Popoff (Kingsway).

Emotional ending

Daily’s double delivery does in Woodstown; Lions win first sectional title in 50 years with seventh-inning rally

GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
Monday’s Games
North I: Pompton Lakes 5, Pequannock 0
North II: Dayton 4, Brearley 0
Central: Point Pleasant Beach 6, Shore 0
South: Gloucester 5, Woodstown 4
STATE SEMIFINALS
Wednesday’s Games
Pompton Lakes (24-4) at Dayton (17-11)
Point Pleasant Beach (24-4) at Gloucester (22-7)
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday
at Veterans Park, Hamilton, 10 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

GLOUCESTER — Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro has been involved in a lot of games like Monday’s drama-filled South Jersey Group I baseball final. And all of them, he has observed, have come down to the same thing. The team that manages the momentum swings in the game best usually wins.

Much to the Wolverines’ dismay, it was Gloucester that handled the swing at the end.

Ayden Daily’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly on the second out of the bottom of the seventh brought home the winning run in an historic 5-4 Lions victory.

It was the Lions’ first sectional baseball title in 50 years. They dedicated the win and the season to Gage Myers, a 2023 senior teammate who was killed in a car accident in March.

They now host Central champion Point Pleasant Beach (24-4) in the Group I state semifinals Wednesday.

Emotions rose and fell on both sides like the tides as the lead changed hands three times in the last inning and a half. Gloucester (22-7) went up 3-1 with two runs in the home sixth, Woodstown (18-10) took the lead and momentum back 4-3 in the top of the seventh and then the Lions won it in the bottom of the seventh.

“These games are never easy,” DeCastro said. “There’s always going to be swings and it’s how you handle the swings within the game (that make the difference). They just happened to get the last swing.

“I was really proud of the way we treated the seventh inning down two like we treated the sixth inning up one and like we treated every other inning we played and that’s why we were able to do what we did. It just happens they got the last one.”

The Lions’ winning rally started when Jack Knorr, the Wolverines’ fourth pitcher, hit leadoff man Kevin Hall with a pitch. The Wolverines looked to have Hall picked off, but he slid safely under the tag at second when everyone in the Woodstown dugout was convinced he was out. Seth McCormick then dropped a single into center to put runners at the corners. Knorr struck out the next batter, then intentionally walked Russell Medlar to load the bases.

Wall scored the tying run when Knorr threw a ball that hit the dirt that skipped to the backstop and got stuck in the windscreen. Knorr ended up walking Gavin Weiner to reload the bases and went to 2-0 on Daily to prompt a visit from DeCastro.

“When you have that situation and a walk wins the game and it’s 2-0 there’s just a lot of building momentum and I just wanted to crush it and start it brand new,” DeCastro said. “It didn’t really matter what I said, what it did was just slow everything down and now allow that building to go on.”

Daily fouled off the next pitch and then hit his sacrifice fly. The senior third baseman gave the Lions their 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a soft two-run single into right field.

“Those were two really good moments right there,” Daily said. “Nothing feels better than when you drive in the runs, especially to put them in the lead, and to walk it off felt even better. We did this for Gage.”

Wolverines’ outfielder Blake Bialecki never wanted to make a throw from the outfield more in his life than after he ran down Daily’s fly to center. He caught the ball going to his left, planted his feet and threw as hard as he could towards the plate. Pinch runner Mason Widman raced down the line from third and just got underneath Ty Coblentz as the Wolverines catcher tried to snare Bialecki’s throw just outside the third-base batter’s box.

“That’s the most I’ve ever wanted to do something in my life,” Bialecki said. “I was thinking just throw it as hard as you can.”

The Wolverines took the lead with three in the top of the seventh. Their first three batters of the inning reached to load the bases. Brent Williams’ sacrifice fly to right drew them within 3-2 and then Andrew Pedrick put them up 4-2 with a two-run single past a drawn-in second baseman.

“That was probably one of the best hits of my career,” Pedrick said. “Getting a hit in that moment, it was special.”

And for a moment it had the Wolverines sitting on top of the world. But it wasn’t to be.

“We fought back really hard and just couldn’t pull it out,” Bialecki said. “It sucks (to lose like that), but it was a great season.”

NOTES: The Wolverines won nine of their last 10 games to reach the South Jersey Group I final for the third time in the last four years (they won the other two) … Woodstown starter Michael Valente started three of the Wolverines’ four playoff games and pitched in all four. He threw 4 1/3 total innings, giving up five hits, one earned run and striking out four … Knorr also pitched in all four playoff games. He went 7 1/3 innings with three hits, five earned runs, seven walks and nine strikeouts … Pedrick’s go-ahead single was the 105th hit of his career … Williams’ sacrifice fly in the sixth was his 101st career RBI. He finished with 112 career hits … Given the historical significance of the win, Gloucester coach Greg Galbraith said it was for “the amount of people in town who are still worried about high school sports who graduated in 1960, 1970, 1980 and so on who still care.” The last time the Lions won the state was 1971.

Cover photo: Jack Knorr comes across the plate with Woodstown’s go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning of the South Jersey Group I championship game. Gloucester scored two in the bottom of the inning to break the Wolverines’ hearts.

Salem 2nd in sectionals

Salem girls passed by Audubon; Salem County qualifies 28 athletes in individual events, 10 relays for state meet; Rams’ Davenport-White wins second event Saturday, Pennsville’s Ayers, Woodstown’s Hunt also bring home final-day gold

By Riverview Sports News

PENNSAUKEN – Karima Davenport-White won her second event in two days, Anna Buzby wound up qualifying for states in four individual events and the Salem girls track team enjoyed their best finish in the sectionals, despite losing their overnight lead in the South Jersey Group I Meet.

Davenport-White claimed gold for the second day in a row when she won the girls 100 hurdles in a school-record time of 15.30 to go with the long jump title she claimed on Friday. She was one of three Salem County athletes to win events on Saturday’s final day of competition.

The Rams held a lead in the team standings entering the final day, but were passed by Audubon, who finished with 87.33 points, and finished second. They trailed the Green Wave by 8.33 points going into the final event – the 4×400 relay – and didn’t start the race.

Their 71 points, however, were the most they had ever scored in the sectionals and was one point ahead of third-place Clayton.

“It’s always tough, going into the season you’ve got expectations, you’ve got goals,” coach Spencer Jarrett said of the runner-up finish. “It wasn’t what we wanted, but all the girls gave everything they had.”

The Rams advanced five girls in 10 individual events plus one relay, depth that should serve them well at next week’s state Group I state meet in Franklin. In addition to Davenport-White, who plans to sign with Coppin State on Tuesday, Buzby (800, 400 hurdles, pole vault and 400) and Dominique Lewis (shot and javelin) were multi-qualifiers for Salem.

“It’s good to have depth in the state because it gives us a better chance at trying to pull out the victory,” Salem coach Spencer Jarrett said. “We were bummed about not winning the sectional, but it’s OK, because if we get enough girls in the state is very attainable because everything balances out. Points that we might not (get) might come from the people in the central or the north.

“At the past couple states besides Clayton it’s been first to 60. Sixty points and you’re basically knocking on the door for a chance at holding that trophy.”

Davenport-White’s win in the hurdles was a highlight for both the runner and the team. She had been working all season to reach her goal of breaking the record (15.40) and felt it was within reach after running a top-seeded 15.48 in the prelims.

There was a lot that went into winning the race. Running at Pennsauken has always made the Salem senior a little nervous because she fell in the race there her sophomore year. And when it came time to run Saturday she had to beat the clock twice.

She almost missed the start of the race after being sent to the other end of the track. She had to sprint back down to the starting position, ripped off her warmups, collected herself with a deep breath after rushing into the blocks and off she went.

“I was a little winded,” she said. “I ripped off my sweat uniform and got right in the blocks. I took a deep breath and was like, ‘OK, Karima, let’s do this.’”

She fell behind at the start, but recovered quickly, picked up momentum, picked up speed and, eventually, picked up the gold medal blasting the school record by a full tenth of a second.

“It was really important to me,” Davenport-White said. “All season I’ve been working really hard, especially for the hurdles. I wanted to break the school record and I did even better than that, so I’m really excited and I know it’s going to help me in college. It just felt nice knowing that I pushed myself to that point and was able to do something way better and win.”

Overall, Salem County’s five track schools qualified 28 total athletes for 38 individual spots plus 10 relays.

Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield (800, 1600, 3200), Grace O’Neill (400 hurdles, discus) and Brooke Watt (110 hurdles, triple jump) were qualified in multiple events on the girls side. Penns Grove’s Khalim Smith (triple jump, high jump) was a multi-qualifier on the boys side. Every school has at least one qualifier on each side. All six of Schalick’s relays qualified.

Pennsville’s Connor Ayars and Woodstown’s Calista Hunt brought back gold to Salem County Saturday.

Ayars won the javelin with a personal best 162-0 on his final throw of the competition, leading a 1-3 finish for the Eagles in the event with teammate Cole Campbell.

“It was a great finals to watch,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “Connor went into the finals with the farthest throw, then Cole took the lead on his second throw in the final then got passed by (Gloucester’s Jalil Banks at 159-1) with Connor taking it on the last throw.”

Hunt won the girls triple jump with a leap of 34-9.

This story will be updated.

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SECTIONALS
(Salem County state qualifiers)
Saturday’s finals
BOYS
Final team scores: Glassboro 122, Woodbury 81, Gloucester City 63, Audubon 52, Riverside 44, Clayton 27, Paulsboro 23, Haddon Twp. 22, Woodstown 21, Burlington City 20, Salem 18, Pennsville 16, Schalick 13, Penns Grove 12, Gateway 11, Palmyra 9, Maple Shade 2, Buena 2.
100 hurdles: 2. Anthony Parker, Salem, 14.81
4×800: 2. Woodstown 8:14.38; 4. Schalick 8:32.88; 5. Salem 8:34.69
1600: 6. Matthew Tozer, Schalick, 4:40.53
4×400: 5. Schalick 3:30.75
Javelin: 1. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 162-0; 3. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 158-3
Long jump: 3. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 21-1.25
Pole vault: 6. Salvatore Longo, Schalick, 11-0

GIRLS
Final team scores: Audubon 87.33, Salem 71, Clayton 70, Woodbury 68, Schalick 66, Haddon Twp. 32.33, Maple Shade 29, Woodstown 29, Riverside 26, Glassboro 24, Gloucester City 20.33, Pennsville 10, Buena 6, Wildwood 6, Pitman 6, Gateway 4, Penns Grove 3.
400: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 59.69
100 hurdles: 1. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 15.30; 3. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 15.74
4×800: 2. Woodstown 10:10.95; 4. Schalick 10:35.55
200: 5. Rhionna Timmons, Salem 26.63
1600: 2. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:18.57; 4. Lillian Norman, Woodstown, 5:41.27
4×400: 3. Schalick 4:13.81
Discus: 2. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 132-0
Triple jump: 1. Calista Hunt, Woodstown, 34-9; 4. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 34-3; 6. Molly Curtis, Woodstown, 33-0
High jump: 3. Kami Casiano, Woodstown, 5-0

Salem County State Qualifiers
Boys
Connor Ayars, Pennsville: javelin
Cole Campbell, Pennsville: javelin
Joshua Crawford, Woodstown: 800
DaviYonn Jackson, Salem: triple jump
Salvatore Longo, Schalick: pole vault
Cole Lucas, Woodstown: 800
Jacob Marino, Woodstown: 3200
Ethan McLean, Schalick: discus
Anthony Parker, Salem: 100 hurdles
Khalim Smith, Penns Grove: triple jump, long jump
David Stewart, Schalick: triple jump
Matthew Tozer, Schalick: 1600

Girls
Anna Buzby, Salem: 800, 400 hurdles, pole vault, 400
Kami Casiano, Woodstown: high jump
Molly Curtis, Woodstown: triple jump
Karima Davenport-White, Salem: long jump, 100 hurdles
Allyson Green, Schalick: javelin
Jordan Hadfield, Schalick: 800, 3200, 1600
Calista Hunt, Woodstown: triple jump
Lillian Norman, Woodstown: 1600
Meely Horace, Penns Grove: 100
Dominique Lewis, Salem: shot, javelin
Megan Morris, Pennsville: pole vault
Grace O’Neill, Schalick: 400 hurdles, discus
Ava Rodgers, Salem: shot
Daivonnah Thomas, Penns Grove: 100
Rhionna Timmons, Salem: long jump
Brooke Watt, Schalick: 100 hurdles, triple jump

Relays
Salem: boys 4×800, girls 4×100
Schalick: boys 4×100, 4×800, 4×400; girls 4×100, 4×800, 4×400
Woodstown: boys 4×800, girls 4×800