Eagles score 5 after a moment of reflection to rally past Gloucester Catholic in season opener, Weber fans career high 10; Woodstown no-hits Penns Grove
MONDAY SOFTBALL
Pennsville 8, Gloucester Catholic 5
Salem Tech 16, Lindenwold 5
Schalick 6, Glassboro 5
Wildwood 10, Salem 0
Woodstown 20, Penns Grove 0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Between the top and bottom of the sixth inning Monday Pennsville catcher Kylie Harris, as she’s been known to do, called her teammates to a huddle in front of the dugout. Even though they trailed at the time, she told them with the ability she knows they have there still was time to pull out the game and they should try “any way you can” to make it happen, preferably in this next half inning they batted.
The Eagles answered her call, rallying for five runs in the home sixth to turn a day-long game of catch-up into an 8-5 season-opening win over Gloucester Catholic.
“We were definitely falling behind a little bit and I knew we had it in us to really get the ball rolling and after that we did,” Harris said. “I think that really gave us all a little push.”
Eagles coach Beth Jackson has been known to turn things over to her players once the game begins in recent years. She’ll give them words of encouragement and instruction in the pre-game and post-game huddles – and if anything needs to be added to the players’ moment – but once that first pitch is thrown she pretty much leaves it to them to provide the inspiration.
It’s not always the same player who delivers the message, and it doesn’t always happen in the sixth inning, but Harris, somehow, always seems to be in the middle of it.
“She does that a lot,” outfielder Kenzie Widener said. “It helps us get motivated and pumped up so we can get out of our heads and just keep firing at the ball. Even if we were down by one she would just give off this giant speech that would make us work together to win that game. I think that really got us together and helped us win.”
The Eagles needed something. They fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and trailed 5-3 going into the home sixth.
Reagan Wariwanchik got the rally started with a one-out single into right field. The Lions booted Gianna Evans’ double-play grounder to keep the inning alive and Gracie Mease loaded based with a bunt single. The next three hitters – the top of the Eagles’ talented lineup – all batted with the bases loaded and they all delivered.
Lily Edwards singled to make it 5-4. Graillyn Weber followed with a single to left to tie the game at 5. Harris gave them the lead with a sacrifice fly. And after Avery Watson walked to reload the bases, Widener, just looking to make contact to extend the lead, did just that and ripped a two-run single to make it 8-5. Widener went 3-for-4 in the game.
“It was a great comeback,” Widener said. “I think it was well deserved. We work our butts off out here. We did what we could to come back and win.”
“That’s the team I just know we are capable of being all the time and it was just so great to see the bats back,” Harris said. “I definitely think we had a little bit of nerves (because of the) first home game. I think we were just trying to get back in the groove, but that last inning, seeing that rally, it was so much fun.”
Now with a lead to protect, Weber finished off the Lions from the circle. And even when the visitors got a runner on in the seventh she didn’t flinch. Harris picked that runner off first to end the game.
Weber looked comfortable in her new role as the Eagles’ main pitcher. She gave up seven hits and hits and struck out 10, beating her career-high she established last year against the Lions (seven). After the Lions scored their three in the first, the junior struck out the side in the second and gave up just two runs and three hits the rest of the way – none over the final 2 1/3.
“I might have just thrown too much over the plate in the beginning,” she said, “but then I got used to the umpire and what his zone was and that helped.
“I’m definitely more confident this year, for sure. I’m excited to be pitching and I like it. I’m glad to be out there.”
| Gloucester Catholic (0-2) | 301 | 010 | 0- | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Pennsville (1-0) | 010 | 115 | x- | 8 | 11 | 2 |
SCHALICK 6, GLASSBORO 5: Freshman starting pitcher Noelani Whitley’s inside-the-park home run with one out in the sixth inning gave the Cougars a 6-4 lead and freshman Kaylee Broflin turned back Glassboro’s threat in the seventh inning after the Bulldogs put the tying run in scoring position with one out.
The Cougars broke a scoreless tie with five in the fourth. They scored the first three runs when the Bulldogs misplayed a grounder off Whitley’s bat and scored the other two on an error on a bad throw to thwart a stolen base.
“Our freshmen pitchers did a great job today,” Cougars coach Rick Higinbotham said. :They were throwing strikes and keeping the ball down in the zone. I was pleased with their performance.”
| Glassboro (1-1) | 000 | 031 | 1- | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Schalick (1-0) | 000 | 501 | x- | 6 | 5 | 3 |
WOODSTOWN 20, PENNS GROVE 0: The Wolverines opened their season by converting 14 walks and seven hit batsmen into 20 runs and three pitchers combined on a four-inning no-hitter. They already were leading 9-0 when they erupted for 11 runs in the third inning. Leah Clark, Madison Roback and Brianna Hitchner combined for the no-hitter, facing one batter over the minimum. The only two base runners they allowed reached on errors and one eventually got cut down at the plate.
| Penns Grove (0-1) | 000 | 0- | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Woodstown (1-0) | 54(11) | x- | 20 | 6 | 2 |
SALEM TECH 16, LINDENWOLD 5: The Chargers erupted for 10 runs in the first inning and coasted to their third victory. Shelby Drummond, Isabele Roberts and Rachel Reed drove in three hits apiece. Drummond and Roberts both had two-run doubles in the big first inning. Roberts pitched the first two innings and retired all six batters she faced, striking out five.
| Lindenwold (0-1) | 003 | 2- | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Salem Tech (3-1) | (10)60 | x- | 16 | 9 | 3 |
WILDWOOD 10, SALEM 0: Addison Troiano went 4-for-4 with three extra-base hits and drove in five runs and Emma Contreras held the Rams to three hits while striking out 14 in six innings. Isla Bohn had all three Salem hits, singles in the first, third and fifth.
| Salem (0-2) | 000 | 000- | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Wildwood (1-1) | 301 | 105 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
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