Longtime Salem coach Steve Merritt back in the game as Pennsville’s new girls basketball coach
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — The Pennsville girls basketball team will have an active Hall of Fame coach calling the shots next season after the system’s school board approved longtime and retired Salem coach Steve Merritt to run the program Monday night.
His appointment fills the second of two head coaching vacancies created when Sam Trapp left in March to become athletics director at Triton Regional High School. Casey Slusher was approved for Trapp’s girls soccer vacancy earlier this summer.
Merritt, who has won nearly 500 games across multiple sports with multiple sectional titles in girls basketball before leaving the sidelines in 2022, is slated for induction into the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 22. It wasn’t immediately known if his resumption in coaching will impact that status as many Halls of Fame require inductees to be out of their field for a period of time before enshrinement.
In 19 seasons at Salem, Merritt’s basketball teams went 257-220 with three South Jersey Group I titles, back-to-back state runnerup finishes and four 20-win seasons. In his last season at Salem (2021-22), the Rams were 12-14 and beat Schalick in an opening round game in the South Jersey Group I playoffs. They lost in the next round at Woodbury.
While he hasn’t been coaching for the past two seasons he stayed close to the game officiating high school basketball and other sports, which he said served to “perpetuate” his interest in the game and coaching.
“I won’t lie, I missed the excitement of being on the bench,” he said. “This opportunity at Pennsville I never expected to present itself and I’m thrilled to be part of a program I’ve always admired for its competitive nature — of all their teams, even when I coached against them.
“They’ve always been competitive and they’ve always wanted to win, and that’s what I want. I just want a group of people who want to work hard and look to win — not just participate. I want them to win. I want them to want to win.””
MERRITT
Merritt, who’ll be 72 when the season opens, already is familiar with at least one player on the current Pennsville roster, having coached Nora Ausland her freshman season at Salem. Ausland’s father, Mike, was an assistant coach on that staff.
Nora Ausland, now a senior, is on track this season to become the 43rd girls basketball player in Salem County to surpass 1,000 career points, the eighth in a Pennsville uniform, and join the elite 1,000-point/500-rebound club.
She scored her first 462 points at Salem, 283 for Merritt and her dad. She also has more than 100 3-pointers, assists, blocked shots and steals.
Her Pennsville teammate, junior Marley Wood, also is on track to become a 1,000-point scorer this season. The prospects of coaching one of most dynamic duos in South Jersey has Merritt excited.
“Truth be told, I have already begun to have restless nights thinking of the season’s possibilities,” he said. “I’ve awakened in the midst of a scheduled slumber thinking about drills, game plans and team meetings. I love it.
“Four months prior to our first practice, I’ve studied our schedule, scouted our opponents’ past seasons, their stats, their potential returning rosters, considered defensive matchups.
“My wife just keeps shaking her head. She openly wonders if I need to seek therapeutic counseling and insists that I undergo a full, complete medical exam. ‘You’re not well.’”
The Eagles, of course, are hoping he’s just what the doctor ordered. They have won a game in the South Jersey Group I tournament two of the last three years, but it’s been more than 15 years since they’ve made it past the quarterfinals.
“We’re excited to have Coach Merritt on board,” Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas said. “He has given countless hours to coaching and officiating at the high school level in South Jersey and specifically Salem County, and has don it in a very positive and successful manner.
“We are excited to be able to hire someone with the wealth of basketball knowledge and experience that he brings to the table. We believe he can continue building a positive culture and bring continued success to our girls basketball program.”
Cover photo: Steve Merritt visits with members of the Pennsville school board Monday night after being approved as the Eagles’ new girls basketball coach.
Salem All-Pro Jonathan Taylor has never forgotten his roots, talks about it passionately while being inducted into Salem County Sports Hall of Fame
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The banners recognizing Jonathan Taylor’s greatness are strategically located throughout Salem High School, but they’re soon going to need a rewrite. They’ll need to include the line “Salem County Sports Hall of Famer.”
TAYLOR
Taylor, the Rams’ record-breaking running back, University of Wisconsin All-American and NFL All-Pro, headlines this year’s Hall of Fame class and was inducted individually Saturday night at Salem Community College.
The date coincides with Taylor’s appearance at his local football camp for youth and allowed him to physically participate in the induction ceremony before heading to Indianapolis Colts training camp. The remainder of the Hall of the Fame class and honorees will be recognized Aug. 22, the night the Colts play an exhibition game in Cincinnati.
One of the recurring themes from those who spoke about Taylor during the ceremony was the way the player hasn’t forgotten his roots. A time doesn’t go by, they all said, whether it’s coming off the field immediately after one of the best games of his pro career or giving back to his community, he doesn’t give a shout out his hometown.
“There’s really no speech I have to give tonight,” Taylor said. “I think (retiring Salem City Schools superintendent) Dr. (Amiot Patrick) Michel said it best: Tonight’s a Salem night.
“It’s not about me, although I’m very thankful, very grateful, to be inducted, there’s been a long lineage of – I don’t even want to say athletes – great people who have come through Salem County. To be honored among them is an honor and privilege. But tonight’s a Salem night. It’s not about me.”nd
In keeping with that theme, he shared a story about the “079” medallion he wears on a chain around his neck. It’s not just a superficial piece of bling to flash before the cameras. It represents the last three digits of the Salem zip code that he calls home.
“I know it’s stereotypical of the athlete; he’s going to go and grab a piece of jewelry,” Taylor said. “I went and grabbed this because this stands for ‘08079’. This is Salem, New Jersey. This is where I’m from.
“I’m going to always be from Salem, New Jersey, and I’m always going to represent Salem, New Jersey, I’m always going to try to shed light on Salem, New Jersey, because they don’t understand the people down here.
“Funny story. They mention all these accolades and things that I’ve done. Some people may say one of my best games in my NFL career I go for five touchdowns, 185 yards (in Buffalo) and the first question they ask me when I come off the field is ‘How do you feel? The only thing I could think about was, ‘Shout out Salem City,’ because that’s the only thing that was on my mind.”
And the community has his back we well. During the ceremonies county commissioners announced a 39-foot mural in Taylor’s image would be commissioned for one of the office’s walls. Taylor also received a proclamation from the State Legislature.
His numbers as a player have been off the charts. At Salem, Taylor rushed for 4,642 yards and 51 touchdowns that included the state’s single-season record with 2,510 yards and 35 TDs and helped lay the foundation for a program that would later win a state championship. He rushed for 1,383 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. He also was an outstanding track athlete and won back-to-back New Jersey Meet of Champions titles in 100 meters in 2016 and 2017.
In college he appeared in 41 games at Wisconsin (40 starts from 2017-19) and totaled 926 carries for 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns. He added 42 receptions for 407 yards and five touchdowns. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back in 2018 and 2019 and was a unanimous All-American.
He is the seventh player in FBS history to rush for 6,000 yards and the first to accomplish the feat in just three seasons. His 6,174 career rushing yards rank sixth all-time among FBS players and second all-time in the Big Ten. He is the third player in FBS history with multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons and the only player in FBS history to rush for at least 1,900 yards in three consecutive seasons.
Following his junior season at Camp Randall, the Colts selected Taylor in the second round (41st overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Pro Football Writers of America named Taylor to its All-Rookie Team after he rushed for 1,169 yards in 232 attempts and caught 36 passes for 299 yards. Then in 2021, he led the NFL in rushing with 1,811 yards in 332 attempts and rushing touchdowns with 18. He also caught 40 passes for 360 yards. He was named first-time All Pro and received the Bert Bell Award, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the best player in the NFL.
In some ways his career followed a similar path to that of another former Salem great, Lydell Mitchell.
Mitchell starred at Salem in the late 60s, then went on to become an All-American at Penn State and star as a groundbreaking running back in the NFL. Similarly to Taylor, he was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Colts and went on to become a three-time Pro Bowl pick.
Mitchell was part of the inaugural Salem County Sports Hall of Fame class in 2000. He wasn’t able to attend his induction ceremony so Saturday night was his first chance to thank the committee in person before sharing his recollections of Taylor.
“I had a phone call from Tommy McCarthy,” Mitchell recalled. “He said they have a young guy up here in Salem; you’ve got to see him play. I think it was Thanksgiving I came up to a game and had an opportunity to talk with Jonathan after the game.
“When I got home that following Monday I called (Penn State head coach) James Franklin and said you’ve got to get this guy, you’ve got to get him in here. He (Taylor) made the right choice. The only thing he could have done is he could’ve followed me because he could have been blue and white in high school, blue and white in college and blue and white in professional football.
“I’ve seen him from afar quite a bit and every time he does speak about Salem passionately, about the high school, about the town. This guy promotes it . Every single time he gets an opportunity to talk in front of the camera he talks about where he’s from.”
The ceremony also recognized Salem High School’s 2021 football team. That team won the Rams’ first New Jersey South-Central Group 1 championship and was praised for its resiliency through a gauntlet of adversity.
The remainder of the Hall of Fame class that will inducted later this summer includes pro athlete Lex Bleckley; athletes James Dickerson, Nick Elmer, James Dennison and Latika Ross; coaches Donna O’Leary and Steve Merritt; and community service honorees Vince Gioia and Steve Lopes. The Hall also will recognize the 2013-15 boys and girls track teams from Penns Grove.
Taylor will be part of that night in spirit, but this night belonged to him.
“This night will stick with me forever,” he said.
Former Salem football coach Montrey Wright is surrounded by members of the Rams’ 2021 state championship team recognized by the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night. On the cover, former Rams great and current NFL star Jonathan Taylor addresses the crowd during his Hall of Fame induction as Wright (left) and Lydell Mitchell listen.
Pennsville poised to bring veteran Salem County coach out of retirement to become their new girls basketball coach
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
Pennsville High School is expected to fill the second of two head coaching vacancies created when Sam Trapp left in March to become athletics director at Triton Regional High School when the new girls basketball coach is approved early next week.
Former Salem High girls basketball coach Steve Merritt is on the agenda and pending board approval Monday night will be named the Eagles’ new coach.
Merritt, a 200-game winner and multiple sectional champion during his long Salem tenure, is already familiar with at least one player on the current Pennsville roster, having coached Nora Ausland as a freshman at Salem.
Ausland, now a senior, is on track to become the 43rd girls basketball player in Salem County to surpass 1,000 career points this season, the eighth in a Pennsville uniform and join the elite 1,000-point/500-rebound club. She scored her first 462 points at Salem, 283 for Merritt. She also has surpassed 100 3-pointers, assists, blocks shots and steals.
Her Pennsville teammate, junior Marley Wood, also is on track to become a 1,000-point scorer this season.
In Merritt’s last year at Salem, the 2021-22 season, the Rams were 12-14 and beat Schalick in an opening round game in the South Jersey Group I playoffs. They lost in the quarterfinals at Woodbury. For his total body or work, he will be inducted into the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 22.
Earlier this summer Casey Slusher was approved to succeed Trapp as the Eagles’ girls soccer coach. At that same board meeting, the board approved $47,732 in stipends for the coaching staffs in football, boys soccer and girls soccer – $6,070 per head coach and $4,087 per assistant – and reported a total varsity coaching stipend pool of more than $200,000.
The board also is expected to approve the Eagles’ enrollment in the NJSIAA for the 2024-25 school year and their dues of $2700 at Monday’s meeting.
Pennsville LL All-Stars bow out of state senior softball tournament after two games, denied a shot at third straight state crown
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT SUNDAY’S GAMES At Dennis Twp.Recreation Complex, Dennisville Bayonne 4, District 1/Morris County 2 Toms River 6, Pennsville 2 District 1/Morris County 9, Pennsville 2 (Pennsville eliminated) Toms River 10, Bayonne 6 (Toms River to finals) District 1.Morris County vs. Bayonne
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
DENNISVILLE – This was not exactly the place Pennsville LL senior softball manager Chris Watson expected to have this kind of end-of-season huddle. Maybe in Massachusetts or Delaware, but certainly not after two games in the state tournament.
But Pennsville’s run in the 2024 senior softball state tournament – and the eight-year run of the core players in the program – ended with two losses on an oppressively hot Sunday at the Dennis Twp. Recreation Complex.
The District 3 and Section 4 champions from Salem County lost to Toms River 6-2 and then were eliminated by the District 1/Morris County team they beat in last year’s state championship game, 9-2. It was their earliest exit from a state softball tournament since 2021 when they were Juniors.
“It was definitely disappointing,” Watson said. “The heat was definitely a factor; we could see that coming.
“I’m not sure why we struggled so much with the heat and other teams seemed to be breezing through it, but we did not adapt well to heat. Both our pitchers had to come out for heat. We didn’t hit well. We didn’t play defense well. We just didn’t do any of the things we really should do well and we have to do win a game.”
Pennsville looked ready to bounce back from their opening round loss and took a 1-0 lead in the first on Jess Bretz’ second homer of the day. But their fortunes turned dramatically in the second inning when Bretz was overcome by the heat and collapsed in the circle. Temperatures were in the 90s throughout the game with heat index hovering around 100.
Bretz required attention twice in the first game, but persevered. She paused again with two on and two out in the second inning of the second game, then fell to the ground. Staffers and players from both teams, and the facility immediately raced to her aid before the local EMTs arrived. Play was suspended for nearly 30 minutes.
Bretz said she passed out twice on the field. Once she came around, she sat in a tent erected in the circle to offer her immediate shade taking in a grape freeze pop. She eventually left the field under her own power.
After waving to her teammates, she rested under a shady tree and flashed a reporter a thumbs-up sign. She spent some time cooling down in an air-conditioned car and then returned to the dugout in street clothes for the remainder of the game.
“It wasn’t scary,” Bretz said. “It was more scary like I can’t help my team anymore and it hurts (because) that was my last game I’m ever going to play for Coach Chris and I didn’t actually get to play, so that’s rough. I think that’s all I was scared about. Just really wanted to keep going. I wanted to be able to help them.”
Watson said the moment was “definitely scary,” but his fears were allayed by the amount of medical professionals within the team’s extended family who he knew were coming behind him onto the field.
There was a different vibe to the team once the game resumed. District 1 took the lead shortly after the game resumed, added a run in the third and scored three in each the fourth and fifth innings. Pennsville, meanwhile, managed only four more hits and one run on Savannah Palverento’s RBI double.
“It was deflating to the team and we didn’t recover,” Watson said. “It was just a deflating moment.”
Despite the early exit to the tournament, the core group of this senior softball team did have a nice run that included multiple district, sectional and state titles and two senior regional appearances, culminating in last year’s Senior Softball World Series trip.
The tournament also marked the end of Watson’s run with the program. Next year he starts a stint as an assistant coach in the Salem CC softball program. Several of Pennsville LL players are expected to join him when they become college eligible.
“A lot of banners,” Watson reflected. “I think we have 14 banners. It was a nice run.”
Pennsville manager Chris Watson attends to Jess Bretz after the pitcher was overcome by the heat during the second inning of their state tournament game against District 1 Sunday.
Toms River 6, Pennsville 2
The Pennsville Senior Stars were thrust into a situation where they would have to play three games to reach the finals and five total to get back to the East Regional after losing their weather-delayed tournament opener.
“It’s the long road now,” Watson said. “We have to win four more games to get where we were last year in three games. Not ideal.
“Not ideal in the heat and the way we came out of that with our heads down not ideal at all. We’re going to have to recover. We’re going to have to get our heads up. We’re going to have to turn things around in a hurry or it’s going to end fast.”
Pennsville just couldn’t deliver a timely hit. They ran themselves out of a potentially big inning in the first with overaggressive baserunning and had multiple runners on base in several innings but failed to bring them around.
They had bases loaded and two outs in the first and fourth and two on with two outs in the third and didn’t score.
Jess Bretz put Pennsville on the board with a leadoff homer in the fifth (making it 3-1) and then they loaded the bases with none out and only got one more run on Savannah Guglielmo’s infield out.
“It was very frustrating,” Watson said. “They were hitting the ball right at the girls and they were catching it; what can you do.
‘’That’s frustrating, and it’s really frustrating when we’re striking out. There were girls who hit really well the last games and didn’t show up today against a very hittable pitcher.”
Bretz went 2-for-2 in the game and drew two walks. Gianna Evans went 3-for-3 and Mackenzie Widener went 3-for-4.
Pennsville LL 12U All-Stars eliminated from Section 4 Tournament by Hammonton; Senior Softball State Tournament delayed again by conditions
SATURDAY’S GAMES SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville Blackwood 10, Cherry Hill American 2 Hammonton 3, Pennsville 1 (PVLL eliminated) SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House All Games postponed.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SICKLERVILLE – There couldn’t have been a worse time for the bats to go cold.
The bats that served the Pennsville LL All-Stars so well on their run to a 12U district title fell agonizingly silent in the next tournament on the road to Williamsport.
Pennsville was limited to four singles Saturday and just couldn’t get a ball through with runners on base, falling to Hammonton 3-1 to end their stay in the New Jersey Section 4 Tournament after two games.
Pennsville hit .324 as a team with 12 home runs in winning the District 3 title last week, but had just five hits and a .161 average in their two sectional tournament games at the Erial LL complex.
“The first couple innings we got runners on and we couldn’t string hits together,” Pennsville manager Steve Pangle said. “We weren’t putting our hits together.
“The pitching was better … but we had our chances and we should have capitalized on them. We just didn’t swing the bats like we did in districts. It was a bad time for our bats to kind of go silent.”
Pennsville put their first two hitters on each of the first two innings, but couldn’t get them home. They scored their only run in in the third inning to make it 2-1 when Brayden Weatherbee rode home on Lauden Tighe’s sacrifice fly.
Hammonton took a 2-0 lead in the second on Lucas Ewer’s RBI double and Roman Murtucci’s two-out RBI single. They made it 3-1 in the third on Brayden Templeton’s RBI double.
Pennsville threatened in the sixth, putting the tying runs in scoring position with two outs and their top hitters coming to the plate. But Hammonton centerfielder Carter Lolio ran down Nathan Breeden’s liner in the gap for the final out of the game.
“They had a lot of heart to keep fighting the entire time even when we were down the whole game,” Pangle said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way they fought throughout the entire game. They have a lot of heart. They just wanted to keep fighting.”
Outfielder Chase Pangle, who had one of Pennsville’s four hits in the game, called it “sad” to lose, but pushing through the disappointment of the day he said it was “really fun” putting together the success the team enjoyed this summer.
“It was great,” Steve Pangle said of the run. “The kids all came together. They’re all friends outside of here, but they really jelled as a team; the further we got in the tournament, the better they got together and the better they knew each other. They had each other’s back. They had the coaches’ back. They turned into a family. The growth overall from the first practice to tonight was huge.”
Senior Softball ppd. again
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Senior Softball State Tournament was postponed for the second day in a row due to weather-related conditions.
All the games scheduled for the Dennis Twp. LL complex Saturday (from Friday) have been pushed back to Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Two teams will have to play three games Sunday to reach Monday’s championship round.
The eventual state champion advances to the East Regional in Worcester, Mass., where they will oppose Rising Sun, Md., in their opener July 20. MOT/Middletown, Del., also has secured a spot in the Mid-Atlantic pool. The Pennsylvania and New York champs are also in that pool.
As frustrating as the weather delay has been, it allowed the Pennsville All-Stars to get most of their players back who were competing in various travel ball tournaments over the weekend.
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House SUNDAY’S GAMES G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne, 11 a.m. G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville, 11 a.m. G3: District 1-Bayonne loser vs. Toms River-Pennsville loser, 2 p.m. G4: District 1-Bayonne winner vs. Toms River-Pennsville winner, 2 p.m. G5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 5 p.m. MONDAY’S GAMES G5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11 a.m. (winner to East Regional at Worchester, Mass.) G6: If necessary, 2 p.m. (winner vs. Rising Sun, Md., in East Regional at Worchester, Mass.)
Section 4 LL Tournament Hammonton 3, Pennsville 1
Pennsville
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Hammonton
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WP: Brayden Templeton. LP: Cayden L’Ecuyer. S: Roman Murtucci. 2B: Brayden Templeton (H), Lucas Ewer (H).
Pennsville LL All-Stars drop sectional opener, Senior Softball gets washed out at state tournament
FRIDAY’S GAMES SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G1: Cherry Hill American 9, Hammonton 0 G3: East Greenwich 10, Pennsville 0
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House All games ppd. G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SICKLERVILLE – With all the joy and momentum the Pennsville Little League All-Stars carried from winning their first district championship in five years last week, this was not the way they wanted to start the sectional tournament.
Pennsville struggled at the plate, on the mound and in the field Friday night and lost their Section 4 Tournament opener to East Greenwich 10-0 in four innings at the Erial Little League complex. They’ll look to stay alive Saturday in a 7 p.m. elimination game against Hammonton.
The District 3 champions were held to one hit, struck out nine times and were charged with six errors in the field. Brayden Roberts had their only hit, a solid single to center leading off the fourth inning. Their only other base runner was John Swiderski’s two-out walk in the first.
“We couldn’t put the bat on the ball,” Pennsville manager Steve Pangle said. “We were letting the umpires dictate the game for us and we can’t do that. If they’re calling it a certain way, we’ve got to be able to adjust and tonight we weren’t able to do that.”
East Greenwich starter Brian McCloskey pitched the first 3 1/3 innings and went through the Pennsville lineup once. He allowed one hit and struck out eight. Earlier in the tournament he blanked Glassboro LL for 5.1 innings on one hit and 11 strikeouts.
Pennsville starter JoJo Mannino expended a lot of energy in the first inning, throwing 30 pitches, but he only gave up one run through it all. East Greenwich scored and then loaded the bases with no outs, but Mannino put out the fire with a liner to second baseman Owen Whalen and a pair of strikeouts.
But East Greenwich got to Mannino in the third, breaking it open with eight runs. All 13 of their hitters batted in the inning. They put together four hits, including two-run singles by Zach Kenderdine and Mason Trotter, three errors and three walks (two with the bases loaded) to build their big inning.
“That was an uncharacteristic inning for us,” Pangle said. “We may have one here or there but we’re not a team that has multiple (errors) in the same inning that could hurt us. Tonight we just didn’t bring our best stuff as a team. We just didn’t come as our best team and it showed out there on the field. Tomorrow we’ll be back and we’ll be better.”
East Greenwich now awaits the winner of Saturday’s Cherry Hill American-Blackwood game.
NOTES: Pennsville was playing in the sectional tournament for the tenth time in its history. They have won at least one game in each of their last five appearances. East Greenwich was in the sectional for just the third time and first since going back to back in 2013-14 … Ever wonder how Pennsville got placed in District 3 playing in a section with districts in the teens when the low single-digit districts have been North Jersey designations from the start? District 3 had been a Bergen County district since the state organized into 12 districts in 1957, but it was dissolved in 1981 when its chartered leagues dwindled and the remaining ones placed in District 4. District 3 was reformed in 1985 in Salem and Cumberland counties as a spinoff from Districts 15 and 16.
East Greenwich 10, Pennsville 0
Pensville (7-3)
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East Greenwich (5-0)
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WP: Brian McCloskey. LP: JoJo Mannino.
Cherry Hill American 9, Hammonton 0
Hammonton (7-1)
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Cherry Hill American (6-1)
180
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9
3
3
Softball washed out
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Pennsville’s fifth straight appearance in the Little League softball state tournament has been delayed at least a day by bad weather in the shore area.
All the games scheduled at the Dennis Twp. LL complex Friday were moved to Saturday at 11 a.m., weather permitting, with the games originally scheduled for 11 Saturday pushed back to 2 p.m.
“Totally par for the course,” Pennsville manager Chris Watson said, reminded of the weather issues the team has encountered in previous state tournament appearances. “But it gives us an extra day to practice, I think; our field is in good shape. Hopefully we can get out there and get the bats going again and be ready for tomorrow.
“I think we’re all used to the rainouts and everything at this point; we’ve been doing this for years. The only difference is this year I’ve got a bed cover for my truck so we don’t have to go into a tournament with soaking equipment like we did last year.”
The forecast for an already drenched area did not look good for Saturday.
“I don’t think anybody is really confident about playing tomorrow, either,” Watson said. “Realistically, I think we’ll play Sunday and the championship on Monday.”
If the games are washed out again Saturday, it would give Pennsville a chance to get all its players back from various travel ball tournaments they’re playing in the South.
When the tournament does get underway, Pennsville plays Toms River in its opener, while District 1 and Bayonne battle it out on the other side of the bracket.
SATURDAY’S GAMES SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne, 11 a.m. G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville, 11 a.m. G3: District 1-Bayonne loser vs. Toms River-Pennsville loser, 2 p.m. G4: District 1-Bayonne winner vs. Toms River-Pennsville winner, 2 p.m. G5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 5 p.m. SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G2: Cherry Hill American vs. Blackwood, 5 p.m. G4: Hammonton vs. Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Here is the upcoming schedule for the Section 4 Little League and NJ State Senior Softball tournaments involving teams from Pennsville Little League
Friday, July 12 SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne, 5:30 p.m. G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G1: Hammonton vs. Cherry Hill American, 6 p.m. G3: East Greenwich vs. Pennsville, 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 13 SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House G3: District 1-Bayonne loser vs. Toms River-Pennsville loser, 11 a.m. G4: District 1-Bayonne winner vs. Toms River-Pennsville winner, 11 a.m. G5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m.
SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G2: Hammonton-Cherry Hill American winner vs. Blackwood, 5 p.m. G4: Hammonton-Cherry Hill American loser vs. East Greenwich-Pennsville loser, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 14 SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House G5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11 a.m. (winner to East Regional at Worchester, Mass.) G6: If necessary, 2 p.m. (winner to East Regional at Worchester, Mass.)
SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G5: East Greenwich-Pennsville winner vs. Hammonton/Cherry Hill American/Blackwood winner, 5 p.m. G6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 2 loser, 7 p.m.
Monday, July 15 SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 16 SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7 p.m. (winner to state tournament at Freehold Twp.)
Wednesday, July 17 SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL At Erial LL, Sicklerville G9: If necessary, 7 p.m. (winner to state tournament at Freehold Twp.)
Pennsville Little League 12U All-Stars wins first district championship since 2019 with an 8-2 winner-take-all win over South Vineland
DISTRICT 3 TOURNAMENT Championship Game At East Vineland Pennsville 8, South Vineland 2
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
VINELAND – Pennsville manager Steve Pangle walked back to the dugout from all the post-game picture-taking under the scoreboard with the championship banner draped over his shoulders like a cape. It was with great reluctance he handed it over when his rightfielder son Chase came out to pack it away for the ride home.
MANNINO
It’s been five years since Pennsville Little League’s 12U All-Stars had the chance to hang a banner in the clubhouse, so it was understandable Pangle didn’t want to give it up easily.
The Pennsville All-Stars won their first district title since 2019 Saturday night – and tenth all time — when they put together a seven-run fifth inning to turn back South Vineland 8-2 in a winner-take-all “if” game for the District 3 crown. That 2019 title run also was the last time Pennsville won a game in the tournament.
“You just gave me the chills just by saying that,” Pangle said. “This is huge. I couldn’t be more proud of the kids. This is all their doing. They fought the entire time, the entire year. We were feeling down at the beginning of the game, but we rallied. We didn’t start off strong, but it’s not how you start it’s how you finish.”
Playing JoJo baseball
They didn’t name an MVP for the tournament, but if they had, it clearly would have gone to JoJo Mannino. The Pennsville ace, who Pangle called “an all-around great player,” came within one out of pitching a complete game – one pitch as it turned out — and hit a grand slam in the fifth inning that put the game away.
The slam was Mannino’s 20th home run of the summer, his seventh of the district tournament and sixth in his last six district tournament games. He also had a grounds-rule double in the first inning. He hit .526 in the tournament with 11 runs and 17 RBIs. Nine of his 10 hits went for extra bases.
“My mindset coming to the plate all the time is make contact, hit it hard and make it go far, too,” Mannino said. “The pitch I hit he honestly just put it down the middle and that’s the happy zone. I just turned on it and hit it hard.”
“He’s in that four hole for a reason,” Pangle said. “He’s what gets us started at times. We just told him to go up and have fun. Just do your thing, do what you do. Do JoJo baseball. Do Pennsville baseball. And that’s what he did.”
On the mound, Mannino pitched a gem. He gave up three hits, two unearned runs and struck out nine. He hit his pitch limit with two outs in the sixth inning. Caleb Fontaine threw one pitch to get the final out of the game.
He was 2-1 in the tournament with a 1.76 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 17 innings.
“I just wanted the game to get over real fast,” Mannino said. “Not to mean I just want to go home. I wanted to get over fast and win this. My mindset on the mound was throw strikes.”
Pennsville manager Steve Pangle tells his players how much he believes in them during a gathering right before they erupt for a seven-run inning to win the game.
Pensville’s big inning came after South Vineland starter JoJo Rodriguez had left the game after reaching his 85-pitch limit. Pennsville scored the first two runs of its big inning on wild pitches and got a third when South Vineland misplayed John Swiderski’s infield chop along the line before it could roll foul. Then Mannino put it away with his blast.
“That couldn’t have been a bigger hit for Pennsville baseball right now,” Pangle said. “Hitting that grand slam means everything, not just to me, to the coaches, to the boys, but the town of Pennsville itself, especially since not being in this position since 2019.
“You feel like there for a while Pennsville’s baseball might have been dying a little bit. We’re lucky with these group of boys. They’re special, they get along, it’s a great group of kids to be around, great group of coaches to be around. We’re ready to go.”
Rodriguez was controlling Pennsville during his time in the game. He gave up four hits and struck out seven, but he prematurely reached his pitch limit by continually overthrowing his pitches and running deep counts. Still, he was able to get out of several jams as Pennsville left five runners in scoring position over the first four innings.
But at no time did Pangle lose confidence in his team pulling out the game.
“We told them we haven’t gotten this far without your guys,” he said. “I believe in you, the coaches believe in you, you’ve got to believe in yourself. I still feel it in my gut, in my heart, that we’re going to come out winners. This is our inning, this is our time, and they came in that fifth inning and said they felt it. I said if you feel it, you’re talking about feeling it, now show it. And they did.”
Pennsville now advances to the Section 4 Tournament at the Erial LL complex in Sicklerville. They play East Greenwich is their opener Friday at 8 p.m.
NOTES: Pennsville’s district titles have come in 2024, 2019, 2010, 1993, 1991, 1983, 1979, 1978, 1975 and 1967 … They have never won a sectional title. They are 6-13 all-time in sectional play, and have won their opener four times … Keeping with a Salem County theme, Woodstown and Penns Grove each won two district titles pre-1965.
District 3 Championship Game Pennsville 8, South Vineland 2
Section 4 Tournament At Erial LL, Sicklerville, July 12-17
(Early Rounds) Friday’s Games G1: Hammonton vs. District 13, 6 p.m. G3: East Greenwich vs. Pennsville, 8 p.m. Saturday’s Games G2: Hammonton-District 13 winner vs. Blackwood, 5 p.m. G4: Hammonton-District 13 loser vs. East Greenwich-Pennsville loser, 7 p.m. Sunday’s Games G5: East Greenwich-Pennsville winner vs. Hammonton/13.Blackwood winner, 5 p.m. G6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 2 loser, 7 p.m.
Pennsville At A Glance
PLAYER
AB
R
H
BI
Nate Morrison
25
12
9
3
Nathan Breeden
21
7
10
7
John Swiderski
21
9
12
8
JoJo Mannino
19
11
10
17
Cayden L’Ecuyer
12
4
3
2
Chase Pangle
21
5
5
1
Caiden Colomy
18
3
6
4
Caleb Fontaine
19
4
5
2
Brayden Weatherbee
14
3
1
3
Lauden Tighe
16
4
6
1
Brayden Roberts
13
4
0
0
Owen Whalen
14
2
2
3
HRs: Morrison, Breeden, Swiderski 3, Mannino 7.
Pennsville slugger JoJo Mannino (27) is greeted by teammate Owen Whalen on the way back to the dugout after Mannino hit a grand slam to seal the District 3 Little League Tournament title game.
Pennsville 12U All-Stars hands South Vineland first loss of tournament to set up winner-take-all game for District 3 LL title
DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT Championship Round (At East Vineland LL) Pennsville 13, South Vineland 4 Saturday’s game Pennsville vs. South Vineland, 7 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
VINELAND – The Pennsville Little League 12U All-Stars wasted little time making their intentions known about wanting to play for a district championship.
They scored early and often to beat South Vineland 13-4 Friday and set up a winner-take-all game Saturday for the District 3 Tournament title.
John Swiderski and JoJo Mannino hit back-to-back homers in a four-run first inning and Pennsville added five in the second to open a 9-0 lead.
“Being able to put up nine runs in the first two innings sent a statement saying you beat us once, you’re not going to beat us again,” Pennsville manager Steve Pangle said, referring to South Vineland’s 7-2 win in pool play. “We’re here to win it and the kids came ready to go.
“From the first batter all the way to our 12th batter each kid was ready to go. Being able to put up the four and the five just shows they were aggressive, they were ready to battle.”
Swiderski and Mannino went back-to-back in the first to extend Pennsville’s lead to 3-1. For Swiderski, it was his second homer in as many games. For Mannino it was his sixth homer of the tournament and fifth in the last five games.
It was the second time this tournament Mannino was part of back-to-back jacks, but the first time they were both over the fence. He and Nate Breeden hit back-to-back inside-the-park homers at Bridgeton in their final pool game.
Swiderski and Mannino also drove runs home in the second inning. They were both 2-for-2 with two RBIs. The first six hitters in Pennsville’s lineup were 10-for-16 with eight runs scored and seven RBIs.
“I think the statement we made was we’re coming out here to play,” Mannino said. “I loved the way we started today because we don’t really start off real hot. We usually start off light, but today we came out blazing. We were ready today.”
The big early lead gave pitcher Cayden L’Ecuyer “a lot more confidence” going to the mound in a high-stakes game. L’Ecuyer struck out the side in order in the first, held South Vineland to one run and five hits the first time through the 12-man lineup and pitched into the fifth inning before reaching his pitch limit . Caleb Fontaine got the final four outs without a ball leaving the infield.
L’Ecuyer wound up giving up eight hits and striking out six without issuing a walk. He got the win in Wednesday’s elimination game with East Vineland as well.
“He was brilliant,” Pangle said. “He pitched beautifully and did exactly what we wanted him to do. I don’t think the other team knew we had another pitcher like that right now, and that was huge for us not to use him and wait towards the end of the tournament to use him.”
The win came on a two-year anniversary of Pennsville’s win over South Vineland in the 10U playoffs. All but two of the current Pennsville players were on that team.
There will be a little more spice to Saturday’s meeting than a normal championship game after an incident involving an illegal bat resulted in the ejection of a South Vineland manager and player and carryover sanctions Saturday.
The controversy arose with two outs in the third inning after Kayden Potts followed Mason Mendez’ solo homer with a double. The umpires determined the pencil bat Potts used in his at-bat was illegal in 12U Little League. As a result, Potts, South Vineland manager Hiram Cordero and the bat were all thrown out of the game and possibly suspended for Saturday’s game.
South Vineland acting manager Delmo Perez said he would be contacting league, district and state Little League officials to get some clarification and potentially contest the game “because that is the gamechanger of this whole entire thing.” He said the bats were checked prior to the game.
As a result of the controversy Pangle said he expects to face an opponent with a chip on its shoulder Saturday and Perez said as much.
“My boys are going to come ready tomorrow, most definitely,” he said. “They got kicked in the mouth and now they’re ready to kick somebody in the mouth.”
After the incident, South Vineland’s proper bats came to life briefly in the fourth. They scored three runs to get within 10-4 before L’Ecuyer rediscovered his focus and retired the next three batters on nine pitches to kill the rally.
“I wasn’t worried about those runs,” L’Ecuyer said. “I was just trying to show them that they aren’t that good and it’s only four runs.”
The winner of Saturday’s game will play East Greenwich in the opening round of the Section 4 Tournament at Erial LL July 12.
District 3 LL Tournament Pennsville 13, South Vineland 4
Pennsville’s Cayden L’Ecuyer and South Vineland pitcher Elijuah Perez both look towards the umpire after L’Ecuyer slid safely into home to score in the first inning of their District 3 championship round game. On the cover, Pennsville players mob John Swiderski at the plate after his first-inning homer.
Pennsville Senior Softball wins fifth straight age division sectional title, routs Middle Twp. for spot in state tournament
SECTION 4 SENIOR SOFTBALL (At Middle Twp. LL) WEDNESDAY’S GAMES Championship game Pennsville 11, Middle Twp. 1
By Riverview Sports News
CAPE MAY COURTHOUSE – This core group of Pennsville Senior Softball players have had a lot of success together over the years, and now that they’re reaching the end of the line they want nothing more than to go out with a bang.
Many of the current players will be opting or aging out of the program when the season ends and manager Chris Watson is moving into a college coaching position that will occupy his time, but they’re showing in this bid to get back to the World Series they’ve still got a lot in the tank.
These girls won their fifth straight age-division sectional title Wednesday when they crushed host Middle Twp. 11-1 in five innings. Now they advance to the state tournament a little farther down the road in Dennis Twp., where they’ll open against Section 3 representative Toms River at 8 p.m. July 12.
“This means a lot because it’s our last one,” Watson said. “For me as a coach and for Avery (Watson), for Jess (Bretz), for Savannah (Palverento), it’s all their last one, Kylie (Harris), but it’s our fifth consecutive championship, so it’s pretty cool and closing that out like that is pretty awesome.
“We tear up a little bit when we talk about it. We’ve been together for so long. This is our eighth season doing all-stars with some of these girls. We’ve been together a long time.”
Avery Watson, the team’s shortstop, said the sectional title should be a big motivator for the younger players to continue. They didn’t have a district tournament to get their feet wet, so the sectional was their first chance to see what the veteran have been experiencing for years.
“I think it’s especially important to the younger girls,” she said. “A lot of them weren’t totally sure what they were getting into and I think the older girls we’ve been a big source of energy and that gets them up and excited for all the games. I guess winning sectional is a big motivator to the young girls to keep competing.”
Pennsville wasted no time getting the upper hand, scoring two runs in the first inning, then put it out of reach with eight runs in the third. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the big inning and scored six of their runs after two were out. The outburst was highlighted by Palverento’s three-run double and Makenzie Widener’s two-run single.
They walked it off with one out in the fifth when Avery Watson scored on a wild pitch.
The first three hitters in Pennsville’s lineup — Palverento, Watson and Harris — were a combined 9-for-12 with four doubles and five RBIs. Harris was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Watson was 2-for-4 (and made two sharp plays in the field). And Palverento was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Widener went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
“I think we hit better (today) than we did in Monday’s games,” Avery Watson said.
Bretz pitched three scoreless innings before coming out of the circle with a sore knee. She allowed one hit and walked four while striking out six. In two tournament games (eight innings) she has allowed just one hit and struck out 21.
Palverento pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. She beat Middle in the tournament opener.
Pennsville 11, Middle Twp. 1
Middle Twp. (1-2)
000
01-
1
3
2
Pennsville (3-0)
208
01-
11
13
0
WP: Jess Bretz (2-0). LP: G. Hall. 2B: T. Atwood (MT), Kylie Harris 2 (P), Savannah Palverento 2 (P).
NJ STATE SENIOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT July 12-14, Dennis Twp. FRIDAY’S GAMES G1: Section 1 vs. Section 2, 6 p.m. G2: Pennsville vs. Toms River, 8 p.m. SATURDAY’S GAMES G3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m. G4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m. G5: Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m. SUNDAY’S GAME G6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 3 p.m. G7: If necessary, 5 p.m.
Riverview Sports News 