Familiar ground

Salem CC baseball returns wins its home opener after returning from Myrtle Beach trip, starts stretch of six games in four days

COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC 12, Northampton 2, 8 inns.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT — After a less-than-satisfactory Myrtle Beach trip best described as humbling, the Salem CC baseball team came home looking for a couple breaks to get its season back on track.

The Mighty Oaks got two big ones in the form of a pair of defensive miscues in the fourth inning that fueled a four-run frame that carried them to a 12-2 Region XIX win over Northampton in their home opener. They walked it off on Cliff Wysinger’s bases-loaded triple with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Wysinger came within a homer of hitting for the cycle. Trevor Hernandez had three hits, Tyler Hacker had two hits and two RBIs, and Rocco String drove in a pair of runs.

Seth McCormick was credited with the win, throwing a 127 pitches over the first seven innings. He threw 76 pitches in the first two innings, giving up only one run, before settling down.

ACORNS: Colin McLaughlin’s RBI double in the sixth inning brought big cheers from the Mighty Oaks’ dugout since his teammates know how much the freshman infielder has struggled this year. McLaughlin had 17 strikeouts in 29 at-bats entering the game … The series concludes with a doubleheader at Northampton Thursday, then the Mighty Oaks return home for three with Atlantic Cape Friday and Saturday.

This story will be updated.