Mighty Oaks come from behind in both games to sweep Camden CC
REGION 19 SOFTBALL
Salem 13-8, Camden 6-4
Monroe Bronx 18-14, Raritan Valley 8-5
Mercer 11-12, Northampton 3-4
By Riverview Sports News
BLACKWOOD – The Salem CC softball team scored four runs with two outs in the seventh inning to break away from a tied game and beat Camden CC 8-4 to complete a sweep of their doubleheader Thursday.
The Mighty Oaks struggled to deliver a big hit with runners on base Tuesday against Lackawanna, but they put the ball in play with runners on in both games Thursday.
The nightcap was tied 4-4 going into the seventh. Ella Hayes singled home the go-ahead run and the other three runs in the inning scored on two errors.
The Mighty Oaks (12-10) won the opener 13-6. They took a 7-4 lead in the fourth. The rally was jump-started by consecutive doubles by Tessa Wise, Jolee Robinson and Hayes. Another run scored when Camden misplayed Jocelyn Melendez’ bunt and the fourth run scored on Chantelle Haskie’s fielder’s choice.
Camden got within 7-6, then the Mighty Oaks broke it open with six runs in the seventh. Melendez and Haskie both had two-run singles in the inning and a pair of errors brought home the other two runs.
“They were decent wins and we played well overall, but there’s still room for improvement,” Mighty Oaks coach Angel Rodriguez said. “We need to stay sharper in the field, focus on our communication and keep refining our timing at the plate.
“We’re getting there. We’re just pushing to be even better next time.”
That next time is a Saturday home doubleheader against region leading Mercer (25-1).
Month: April 2025
Hard-working Jesse
Woodstown boys sweep Triton to give Stemberger milestone coaching win in Wolverines’ tennis program
THURSDAY TENNIS
Woodstown 5, Triton 0
Schalick 4, Glassboro 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
RUNNEMEDE — The Woodstown boys tennis team swept their head coach into the history books Thursday.
The Wolverines beat Triton 5-0, dropping only one set all day, to give head coach Jesse Stemberger his 300th combined career coaching win in 17 seasons at the helm of the program. Thursday’s win was his 50th with the Woodstown boys program.
It was the Wolverines’ third win in as many days. Stemberger is 250-93 in 17 seasons with the girls, 50-27 in five seasons with the boys.
“It means I’ve been doing it a long time,” he said of the milestone. “When I look at it and I look at all the kids I’ve coached over the years I feel good for them because everybody has a part and I think everybody takes pride in having played for Woodstown tennis in the last 17 years. So, I feel good for them more than I feel good for myself.
“I don’t really think of it as much of an accomplish at the moment but maybe in a couple years I’ll sit back and say yeah that’s pretty cool.”
Stemberger scored his first win on Sept. 10, 2008, a 5-0 girls sweep of Penns Grove; he still has the ball on his shelf. He also got No. 100 against Penns Grove and No. 200 against Overbrook. His first win with the boys came against Wildwood. Of the milestone wins, only No. 100 came at home.
The No. 2 doubles team of Luke Shaw and Mason Shimp got the day started. No. 2 singles John Farrell secured the second point and the victory was clinched by the No. 1 doubles team of Ben Stengel and Nick DiTeodoro (Stemberger’s nephew).
Drew Stengel made it 4-0 at No. 1 singles and Joseph Kurpis completed the sweep when he won a 10-8 tiebreaker at No. 3 singles.
Stemberger is the third Woodstown head coach to reach the 300-win milestone this academic year, joining Darren Huck (boys soccer) and Adam Hyland (wrestling).
“I like it because we’re all friends,” Stemberger said. “We’re the old guard over there. We’re the three longest-tenured. We’re the old guys now. We’ve all been through a lot. We’ve had the same athletic directors, the same administrators, so we’re like the grumpy old men now.
“It’s fun. All three of us have really dedicated a lot of time to this and ultimately it comes down to what we want to do for the kids. They’re the real beneficiaries of this. They’re the ones you care about, they’re the ones you want to see be appreciative of what they’ve got.”
WOODSTOWN 5, TRITON 0
Drew Stengel (WO) def. Tristan Malone, 6-1, 6-4
John Farrell (WO) def. Cole Durham, 6-2, 6-0
Joseph Kurpis (WO) def. Tirth Patel, 6-1, 0-6, 10-8
Ben Stengel-Nicholas DiTeodoro (WO) def. Brennan Zabala-Sean Gorski, 6-1, 6-1
Luke Shaw-Mason Shimp (WO) def. Shrey Modi-Tomas Ledesma, 6-1, 6-0
Records: Woodstown 3-0, Triton 0-1.
SCHALICK 4, GLASSBORO 1
George Gould (S) def. Carter Eli, 6-1, 6-1
Conor O’Toole (S) def. Kelechi Ufomba, 6-0, 6-1
Kaden Barnes (S) def. Andrew Miller, 6-1, 6-0
David Santana-Anthony McGrath (S) def. Jeffrey Guzman-Jesus Lopez, 6-2, 6-1
James Pence-Nico Tsoulcalis (G) won by forfeit
Records: Schalick 2-1, Glassboro 0-3.
Wednesday roundup
Woodstown softball rallies to give new coach first win; Wolverines’ Stemberger moves closer to a coaching milestone
SOFTBALL
Gloucester Catholic 19, Salem 0
Pitman 13, Pennsville 11
Woodstown 7, Schalick 3
By Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – Leah Clark went 3-for-4, Lila Bowling had two hits and two RBIs and Johanna Way allowed just one earned run over seven innings as Woodstown rallied from an early deficit to open its season with a 7-3 win over Schalick 7-3 and give Rob Hildebrand his first win back as the Wolverines coach.
Schalick led 2-0 in the first inning and 3-2 after three, but Shyann Higinbotham, Ellie Wygand and Talia Guardascione plated runs on consecutive at-bats in the fourth to give Woodstown the lead. The Wolverines added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on RBIs from Bowling and Hannah Hitchner.
Way allowed eight hits and struck out seven in her complete game in the circle for Woodstown. She also contributed a pair of hits at the plate.
Cloe Elliott and Ava Lauglin had two hits each for Schalick. Maddie Brown’s two-run single staked the Cougars to a 2-0 lead in the first.
PITMAN 13, PENNSVILLE 11: The Eagles appeared headed to a one-sided win after scoring eight runs in the first inning, but Pitman steadily climbed back into it and eventually overtook them in the sixth inning.
The first four hitters in the Pennsville lineup – Lily Edwards, Graillyn Weber, Kylie Harris and Savannah Palverento – were a combined 11-for-21 with six RBIs, but the rest of the Eagles’ lineup had only three hits. Weber was 4-for-6 and Edwards was 3-for-5.
Jess Bretz, who pitched for the Pennsville LL Senior Softball World Series team two years ago, entered the circle with two outs in the first inning, limited the damage the rest of the game and was rewarded with the win. She struck out 12.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 19, SALEM 0: Gloucester Catholic put the game on a run-rule path in the second inning and held Salem to two hits overall. Julliana Love and Phoenix Holland had Salem’s hits.
TENNIS
Drew Stengel won a dramatic third-set tiebreaker at first singles and Woodstown swept the doubles points to beat Middle Twp. 3-2 and give coach Jesse Stemberger his 299th combined tennis coaching victory.
He can hit the 300 mark Thursday at Triton and would become the third Wolverines coach to reach that milestone this academic year (soccer’s Darren Huck, wrestling’s Adam Hyland). Stemberger has 250 wins with the girls team, 49 with the boys.
WOODSTOWN 3, MIDDLE TWP. 2
Drew Stengel (WO) def. Darp Patel, 6-2, 1-6, 10-6
Miles Stafford (M) def. John Farrell, 6-3, 6-4
Michael Ratchford (M) def. Joseph Kurpis, 6-0, 6-1
Luke Shaw-Mason Shimp (WO) def. Kenny Martin-Evan Chew, 6-2, 6-4
Ben Stengel-Nicholas DiTeodoro (WO) def. Mario Tenaglia-Dante Duca, 6-2, 6-2
Records: Woodstown 2-0, Middle Twp. 2-3.
PENNSVILLE 4, OVERBROOK 1
Gabe Schneider (P) def. Connor Kustera, 6-0, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. Thomas Mason, 6-1, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Colin Campbell, 6-0, 6-0
Alan Marcos-Gabe Martinez (O) def. Lucas Cooksey-Sawyer Humphrey, 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
Carter Willis-Ian Peacock (P) def. Mohammed Shihab-Gerardo Trinidad-Palillero, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Pennsville 2-0, Overbrook 0-3.
Perfect Pokrovsky
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 |
Big turnaround
Salem CC’s Rodriguez wins weekly national award; production up, strikeouts down
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Salem CC Yen Rodriguez led the nation in strikeouts last season and under any other circumstance that would be cause for celebration. Problem is, he’s a hitter.
Even he recognized the need for better plate discipline and worked all offseason on his approach. This season the Mighty Oaks’ sophomore has cut down on his strikeouts, already hit more home runs and today he’s being celebrated as a national award winner.
Rodriguez added the NJCAA Division III Player of the Week award to the GSAC Position Player of the Week award he won earlier in the week. He’s the first national player winner in coach John Holt’s tenure with the Mighty Oaks.
The switch-hitter from Vineland who has played both in the infield and outfield this season, batted .692 (9-for-13) in four games last week with two homers, six RBIs, 11 runs scored and five stolen bases – and just one strikeout.
“It’s a huge honor,” Holt said. “The kid’s worked real hard. He’s starting to buy into some of the things our hitting coaches have been working with him on and with the buy-in he’s seeing those results. He’s got all the talent in the world. He just needed to make a few adjustments and he’s seeing the results.
“He was sometimes overly aggressive, swinging at a pitcher’s pitch, so we asked him to see some more pitches, work himself into counts where he could drive the baseball as oppose to defensive counts. He’s swinging at more hitters’ pitchers and doing well with it. It took him doing what happened last year to kind of open his eyes a little bit and make those adjustments and he’s done that and we’re better for it.”
Last year, Rodriguez led Division III with 61 strikeouts in 152 at bats – but still hit .303 with five homers, a .488 on base percentage and .559 slugging percentage.
Through 27 games this season he is batting .414 with six homers, 24 RBIs, a .552 on base percentage and .747 slugging percentage. He ranks in the top 10 nationally in homers, run scored and stolen bases. He still has fanned 23 times, but only twice in the seven games (21 at bats) since the Mighty Oaks returned from their Florida trip.
“All last season with leading the region in strikeouts it was mainly because I was a pull hitter; I was not dominant on the opposite side,” Rodriguez said after plating the winning run in a recent 12-inning win over RCSJ-Gloucester that didn’t figure in this award. “Going up there and hitting the ball opposite like I’ve been trying to do and honestly frustrated with the fact I couldn’t score the runs, (delivering that game-winner) made me happy because I’m working at the end of the day.”
Yen Rodriguez Week
| AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB-K | SB | |
| Mercer | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1-0 | 1 |
| Montgomery | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1-0 | 2 |
| Montgomery | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2-0 | 1 |
| Montgomery | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-1 | 1 |
| Totals | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5-1 | 5 |
Salem softball swept
Mighty Oaks handcuffed in high-level situations, swept by Lackawanna in Region 19 doubleheader
TUESDAY REGION 19 SOFTBALL
Lackawanna 6-5, Salem CC 5-2
Sussex at Orange, ppd.
Mercer 21-15, Raritan Valley 0-0
Northampton at Middlesex, ppd.
Dutchess 11-9, Bergen 5-0
RCSJ-Gloucester 14-13, Camden 0-0
RCSJ-Cumberland at Brookdale, ccl
| REGION 19 DIVISION II | ALL | REG |
| Mercer | 23-1 | 9-1 |
| Delaware Tech | 15-3 | 7-1 |
| Lackawanna | 17-15 | 4-2 |
| Salem CC | 10-10 | 4-4 |
| Raritan Valley | 2-14 | 1-9 |
| Sussex | 1-11 | 1-9 |
| Morris | 1-5 | 0-0 |
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – A year ago at this time the Salem CC softball team was 14 games deep into a record-setting 19-game winning streak that defined its season. But that was an experienced group that developed discipline at the plate that allowed it to come through in high-leverage situations.
This year’s team is battling to stay above .500. It has a lot of more newcomers and is still learning those things, the way last year’s team had to in its first year together. Sometimes those lessons come with unpleasant outcomes.
The Mighty Oaks came to the plate numerous times with runners in scoring position during Tuesday’s Region 19 doubleheader with Lackawanna, but they saw limited returns in those situations and were swept by the Falcons 6-5 and 5-2.
“We didn’t do a good job making adjustments at the plate,” Salem coach Angel Rodriguez said. “We had a hard time making sure we are attacking pitches that we need to.
“Once we start doing that a little bit better I think we’ll be all right. Balls just didn’t go our way sometimes, and sometimes that’s just softball.”
The Mighty Oaks (10-10) came to the plate with bases loaded eight times in the doubleheader – four times in each game – and got only two hits to produce three runs. They were 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the opener, 6-for-25 in the doubleheader. Their hitters were 3-for-15 after the Falcons pitchers had seen them for a third time in the game.
“Unfortunately that’s been the story of our season,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve struggled with runners in scoring position all the time. It’s just something we have to do a better job of and taking advantage of being able to hit a hard ground ball or line drive rather than trying to do too much with a pitch.
“We’re going to get more opportunities, that’s the good news, so the more we keep getting that the more we’ll have opportunities to make adjustments to see the other side of that success.”
The Mighty Oaks loaded the bases in each of the first two innings of Game One. They got nothing in the first inning, but scored three in the second to answer the Falcons’ three in the top of the inning. They tied the game on Callie Rozak’s bases-loaded HBP and Bella Rappa’s two-run single.
They also loaded them with none out in the sixth inning and the only run they scored out of that came on a wild pitch to give them a 4-3 lead. Lackawanna retook the lead in the seventh on three consecutive hits capped by Laniah Tasker’s two-run single.
The Mighty Oaks never led in the nightcap, but they threatened. They loaded the bases in the third with one out down 2-0, but scored only one run on Chantelle Haskie’s two-out single. They also loaded them with two out in the fourth but failed to bring the tying or go-ahead runs home.
“We have a lot more incoming players this year,” Rodriguez said. “They’re slowing making that adjustment (to this level), but it’s not quite there yet. The more they keep attacking, the better they’ll get. It’s just about recognizing this level of pitching and intensity and capitalizing. “
GAME ONE
LACKAWANNA 6, SALEM 5
| Lackawanna | 030 000 2- | 6 | 13 | 0 |
| Salem | 031 001 0- | 5 | 6 | 2 |
GAME TWO
LACKAWANNA 5, SALEM 2
| Lackawanna (17-15) | 200 012 0- | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| Salem (10-10) | 011 001 0- | 1 | 8 | 0 |
Riverview Sports News 