Another hard loss

Salem CC baseball suffers third straight lop-sided loss; Rodriguez hits Mighty Oaks’ first homer of the year; Holt: ‘We’ve got to stop playing scared’

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – The tough start to a new season continued for the Salem CC baseball team Friday afternoon as the Mighty Oaks suffered a third straight lop-sided loss in their home opener.

Eight infield errors in the first five innings led to at least nine unearned runs and the bats were silent most of the game in a 22-6 loss to third-ranked Brookdale at the Carneys Point Rec Complex. 

It was the Mighty Oaks’ third straight loss by double digits to open the season.

“We’ve got to keep routine plays routine; simple game,” Salem coach John Holt said he told his team after the game. “At one point it was nine unearned runs. You can’t win baseball games that way.

“We’ve got to stop playing scared.”

Just like after Sunday’s doubleheader against Sussex it was hard for Holt to find something positive to take away from the day. If you really pushed, it might be answering Brookdale’s four-run visitors’ first with four when they came to bat. Or Yen Rodriguez hitting their first home run of the season in his first home at-bat, a two-run shot in that four-run response.

But there wasn’t much beyond that. Brookdale kept scoring after its first-inning outburst. The Mighty Oaks didn’t get another hit after theirs until scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh of a game that was destined for the seven-inning run rule.

They did threaten in the fifth. They loaded the bases with one out on two walks and an infield error, but Brookdale starter Tyler Spencer struck out the next two batters to end the threat and complete his day.

In fact, the Jersey Blues (4-0) scored in every inning to extend another unwalcomed Salem streak. The Mighty Oaks (0-3) have given up a run in each of their last 17 innings. The last time they put up a defensive zero was the third inning of last week’s Game 1 against Sussex CC.

It’s a head-scratcher.

“We’ve got to figure it out,” Holt said.

The series concludes Saturday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Brookdale. J.D. Wilson and Jared Vandersteur, a pair of Pennsville products, are expected to start on the mound for Salem.

ACORNS: Demetrius DeRamus had a pair of doubles for the Mighty Oaks and reached base three times … Angel Velez and Tyler Hacker also reached base three times … Rodriguez homered in his first home at-bat last year, too. It was an inside-the-park job in his first college at-bat.

BROOKDALE 22, SALEM 6

Brookdale (4-0)	442 353 2-	22	20	4
Salem (0-3)	400 000 2-	6	7	8