Dreadful defeat

Mistake-prone Mighty Oaks lack fight in loss to Camden, but still in position to get a home playoff series

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Chip Chapman didn’t really feel like talking after the game. Nobody did. Actually, there really wasn’t much to say.

Chapman ran the team Monday night with Salem CC head coach John Holt serving a one-game suspension following Saturday’s ejection and what he endured was one of the Mighty Oaks’ most dreadful defeats of the year.

They fell to Camden CC 19-8 in a game they were never really in or into. They scored enough to runs to win most games, but just made too many mistakes on the bases and in the field for it to matter.

And this was just hours after receiving votes in the JUCO Division III baseball poll for the second week in a row.

“We just didn’t fight. We didn’t come out to play,” Chapman said. “They were more prepared than we were today.”

The Mighty Oaks gave up four runs in the first inning and fell behind 9-1 in the third. They lost one run in the second inning when Matt Murphy was thrown out and ejected on a home-plate collision and another when Tyler Hacker didn’t get to the plate before Ben Charbonneau was thrown out at third tagging up on Chris Kelly’s fly to right. 

And that was before things got really bad. The Mighty Oaks were charged with a season-high nine errors in the game by independent scoring, six in a forgettable fourth inning that ran the score to 13-4. Holt couldn’t be on site during his suspension and was said to be watching the live stream of the game from his office. No one would have blamed him if he turned it off at that point.

He declined to comment when reached after the game.

The Cougars took the game into run-rule territory with a six-run sixth.

The loss may have been more costly to the Mighty Oaks than they know. It wasn’t immediately known how long Murphy will be suspended following his ejection. Salem CC softball second baseman Jocelyn Melendez was suspended four games for her home-plate collision in their April 5 home doubleheader with Mercer. The length of the suspension will be determined by the severity and intent of the hit.

Murphy got caught in a pickle between third and home by Camden starter Garrett Gordy and ran through catcher Kyle Leiser who was standing at the plate with the ball. Leiser suffered a bloody nose, was evaluated for a concussion and came out of the game.

A four-game suspension would leave the Mighty Oaks without their clean-up hitter and top RBI producer through the weekend. In that scenario he would be eligible to return for the Mighty Oaks’ regular-season finale at Atlantic Cape May 5. 

Despite the loss, the Mighty Oaks (23-22, 17-10) held onto fourth place in the Region 19 Division III standings, but are tied with Camden (25-14, 17-13) in the win column and have four region games remaining – Northampton Wednesday and three with Ocean.

With one win and one Middlesex loss, they will clinch fourth place and a projected first-round home series in the playoffs. If they win all four and RCSJ-Cumberland gets swept by No. 1 RCSJ-Gloucester, they’ll be third.

“Hopefully ithis game) just fuels the fire, gives us something to play for the next couple days; gets us in there, gets us where we want to be,” Chapman said.

ACRONS: Chapman had been given the reins one time before, as a high school assistant at Olney Charter. He won that game … The Mighty Oaks had two games of seven errors last year … Ian Monteith hit a two-run homer for Camden in the second inning and leftfielder Tyler Gavura pulled a two-run homer back from Hacker in the fifth inning … Yen Rodriguez moved within six hits of 100 for his career with his third-inning RBI single … Tim Bowlby reached base all four times he batted for Salem … The Mighty Oaks used six pitchers in the seven-inning game.

Photo: Camden CC catcher Kyle Leiser braces for impact as he’s about to collide with Salem CC sophomore Matt Murphy in the second inning. (Screenshot of Salem CC live stream)

Camden	423 406 0-	19	11	3
Salem	013 100 3-	8	9	9