Turning a corner

Holt sees improvement as Salem CC baseball sweeps in Florida, softball sweeps in Carolinas

SALEM CC BASEBALL
Mighty Oaks 6-15, Northland C&TC 0-8
SALEM CC SOFTBALL
Mighty Oaks 14-15, Fayetteville Tech 3-3

By Riverview Sports News

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Salem CC baseball coach John Holt is starting to see signs of his team coming around.

The Mighty Oaks scored the first wins of their Florida swing Wednesday when they swept Northland Community & Technical College 6-0 and 15-8.

“I think we’ve turned a corner,” Holt said.

Jared Vandersteur and J.D. Wilson combined on a four-hit shutout in the opener. Vandersteur went the first six and struck out six before Wilson set the Lumberjacks down in order with smoke in the seventh.

The Mighty Oaks took control of the game with a three-run second inning. 

The bats came alive in the nightcap. The Mighty Oaks collected 14 hits. Matt Murphy had two hits and five RBIs, Demetrius DeRamus had two hits and three RBIs and Yen Rodriguez had two hits and two RBIs. Cole Dawson had a pair of doubles.

Murphy hit a three-run homer in the fifth, Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the sixth. DeRamus had a two-run triple in the second and an RBI single in the fourth; both hits gave the Mighty Oaks the lead.

“We’re starting to come together as a team and playing better fundamental baseball,” Holt said. “The guys are taking a better approach at the plate and taking what the pitchers are giving us, and the pitchers have been competing.

“I’m excited to see how we finish up this trip and get ready for the north.”

SOFTBALL
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Salem CC softball team grabbed its first two wins of his North Carolina swing, sweeping Fayetteville Tech 14-3 and 15-3.

The Mighty Oaks pounded 18 hits – seven for extra bases – in the opener and 11 hits with four doubles in the nightcap.

Ella Hayes led the hit parade in the opener by going 4-for-5. Jocelyn Melendez and Callie Rozak both had two hits and three RBIs. Val Hatterer (two RBIs) and Tiana Wilson both had three hits.

They broke open the nightcap with nine runs in the sixth inning. Bella Rappa had three hits and two RBIs in the nightcap, while Melendez and Hatterer both had two hits and three RBIs.