Schalick senior throws perfect game at Woodstown in first start of the season, Cougars support him with 10 runs in the first inning
WEDNESDAY BASEBALL
Schalick 11, Woodstown 0
Pitman 7, Pennsville 2
Holy Cross 16, Salem 2
Penns Grove 16, LEAP 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — It was a little chilly and a bit breezy but Luke Pokrovsky was as hot on the mound as any day in May.
The Schalick left-hander couldn’t have started his pitching year any better unless, of course, he had gone the full seven innings.
In his first start of his senior year Wednesday the Penn signee fashioned a five-inning perfect game, striking out 11 in the Cougars’ 11-0 Diamond Division win over Woodstown.
It was his first high school perfect game. He threw a no-hitter last year against Wildwood and had three other starts of six innings or longer in which he allowed just one hit. It was his ninth career game with double-digit strikeouts.
“With him, he doesn’t seem to amaze me because each time, each start, I feel like he gets better,” Cougars coach Sean O’Brien. “I’m not shocked at it, but it does kind of throw you off that he’d be on this early. He’s a special type of player. He keeps getting better.”
Pokrovsky threw 69 pitches, 46 for strikes. Included in the package was the new off-speed stuff he’s been working on in the offseason and three scrimmage appearances. He figured he threw two of those pitches to each hitter Wednesday.
He was so efficient he went to three balls on only two batters and threw more than five pitches to three. The Wolverines put only four balls in play against him, all in the infield. He struck out the side in the second, third and fifth innings.
The only ball that looked like it might get through was Rocco String’s comebacker through the box in the fourth that shortstop Evan Glaspey fielded cleanly and threw on for the out. The other non-strikeouts were a pop to short, a soft liner to second and another ball back to the mound.
“I know coming off a hot year last year everybody was going to be expecting me to come out with my fastball, but I was trying to work on the off-speed more,” Pokrovsky said. “After the first inning and throwing that good I was just trying to get strikes over the plate and try to locate better so they couldn’t get hard-hit balls off me. I was really happy with how it came out.
“Coming out like that, you can’t get any better. It was … perfect.”
Yes, it was.
After Pokrovsky put the Wolverines down in order in the first, his teammates gave him 10 runs of support in the bottom of the inning. It would have been 11 but a runner failed to touch the plate when he came in to score.
Sixteen batters came to the plate in the inning. Woodstown starter Dante Holmes got the leadoff man, then the next 14 Cougars reached safely.
Evan Sepers, who made the first out of the inning, had a two-run single the next time he came to the plate.
Pokrovsky went to the pen with catcher Ricky Watt during the long inning to keep his arm warm. When he went back to the mound he struck out the side on 13 pitches.
“He was excellent at getting ahead of guys, attacking hitters,” O’Brien said. “He wasn’t playing around with them. I feel when he attacks hitters he can go deep in the game and force them to put the ball in play. He did a great job of that from the start today.”
Photo: Schalick pitcher Luke Pokrovsky tips his cap coming off the mound after completing his five-inning perfect game against Woodstown.
SCHALICK 11, WOODSTOWN 0
| Woodstown (2-1) | 000 00- | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Schalick (2-0) | (10)01 0x- | 11 | 12 | 0 |
PITMAN 7, PENNSVILLE 2: Hudson Rue held the Eagles to three hits over the first five innings and the Panthers broke open a close game with five runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Steve Fatcher gave Pennsville a 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second, but the Panthers took the lead for good with two in the bottom of the inning.
Fatcher had two other hits for the Eagles. Luke Wood pitched the first four innings for Pennsville, allowing just two runs, three hits and striking out seven.
| Pennsville (0-1) | 010 000 1- | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Pitman (3-2) | 020 023 x- | 7 | 8 | 0 |
HOLY CROSS 16, SALEM 2: The Lancers broke it open with 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after the Rams pushed across their first run of the game on Bryce Harris’ RBI double in the top of the inning. Terrell Robinson had two of Salem’s four hits.
| Salem (1-1) | 000 11- | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Holy Cross (2-3) | 203 (11)x- | 16 | 9 | 0 |
PENNS GROVE 16, LEAP 1: The Red Devils jumped out from with five in the home first and then erupted for 11 in the second to turn it into a rout. Elijah Crespo went 3-for-3. Liam Irvin scored three runs and was one of five players who had two RBIs. Tommy Mattioli allowed two hits and walked one from the mound.
| LEAP (0-3) | 010 00- | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Penns Grove (2-2) | 5(11)0 0- | 16 | 8 | 2 |
Riverview Sports News 