Salem CC baseball team runs wild in series opener with Atlantic Cape, Mighty Oaks steal 18 bases in eight-inning walk-off win
FRIDAY’S GAME
Salem CC 12, Atlantic Cape 2, 8 inns.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — John Holt says this year’s Salem CC baseball team is top to bottom one of the fastest and most aggressive on the base paths he has had in some time. That ability was on full display Friday.
The Mighty Oaks recorded an incredible 18 stolen bases (in 19 attempts) in their 12-2 win over Atlantic Cape that was walked off on Trevor Hernandez’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Aiden Nestor, Tyler Hacker and J.J. Pankowski, a fifth-inning substitution, all had three apiece. Four others had two each. Every spot in the lineup but one had at least one. It was the most they’ve swiped in a game since COVID.
“Once you get the first few, you see what the catcher is working with, and he threw a lot of balls to the outfield,” Hacker said. “We know that we’re going to keep doing it until they stop us and they didn’t stop us today. We took advantage of that, took what we could get and it helped us score runs and win the game.”
They came into the game with 45 stolen bases (in 53 attempts). The had swiped 11 in a game earlier this year. They had 17 in a win over the Buccaneers last May.
The National Junior College Athletic Association doesn’t list a record for stolen bases in a game, tending rather to focus on seasonal and long-term milestones, but the 19 bags swiped by Transylvania in 2018 (before it transitioned to NCAA Division III) is often cited as the JUCO single-game record. The NCAA Division I single-game record is 22 by St. John’s in 1978. The Division II and III record is 24 by Benedict (2012) and Hendrix (2001), respectively..
The Mighty Oaks (7-13) used five to score their three runs in the first inning. They also swiped five bags in the fifth. Seven of the runs they scored in the game had at least one stolen base attached.
“In warmups we saw (Bucs catcher Josue Cuadrado) was a little bit slower than what we’ve seen and we were able to get good jumps on them,” Mighty Oaks catcher Hernandez said. “We read their pitchers really well and took our opportunities when we could get them. It’s definitely unfortunate (for the catcher) and his pitchers weren’t helping him out at all so I can definitely understand that. At the same time, he had some opportunities to get us — he got us once — but we definitely got more of them.”
Several of the stolen bases were on the back end of double steals. The most daring was Hacker’s astute first-inning steal of home on the catcher’s lazy throw back to an inattentive pitcher.
“We saw that opportunity probably about three pitches prior and he was in my ear about it,” Holt said. “I said, no, no, no, then we agreed with the two strikes now was the time.”
The Mighty Oaks scored runs in every inning except the fourth. They got three in the first inning without the benefit of a hit and scored their first five with only two balls striking a bat — and one of those was a foul. They steadily drove towards the run-rule threshold and finally reached it in the eighth. Sal Mesete singled, Roman Hernandez doubled and Trevor Hernandez closed it out with his sac fly to left.
“We’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity we can,” Holt said. “We’re not exactly knocking the cover off the ball right now so we have to generate offense. I’ve always as a coach defined offense as what we do when we’re not hitting. We’re always going to try to create an offense here on top of what we do with the bats.”
While the Mighty Oaks were running wild, pitchers Joe Pallante and Louie Rivera were keeping the Buccaneers at bay. Pallante worked into the sixth, giving up three hits, walking four and striking out five. Rivera closed it out with 2 1/3 shutout innings.
The teams are scheduled to play atnoon doubleheader at the Carneys Point Rec Complex Saturday. Former Woodstown pitcher Mike Valente (0-1, 7.71) will draw the start in the opener and Andre Stewart (1-0, 2.25) will start the nightcap.
| Atlantic Cape (2-4) | 100 | 010 | 00- | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Salem CC (7-13) | 323 | 011 | 11- | 12 | 7 | 4 |
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