Happy home opener

Heads-up base running move helps Salem Tech rally to win inaugural home baseball game, Chargers softball rallies past Highland, and more

THURSDAY SCORES
BASEBALL
Pennsville 8, Paulsboro 3
Salem Tech 15, Wildwood Catholic 9
SOFTBALL
Salem Tech 14, Highland 11
Paulsboro 19, Penns Grove 1
BOYS GOLF
Pitman 180, Woodstown 182
Schalick 165, Overbrook 204
BOYS TENNIS
Woodstown 4, Pennsville 1
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC 21-20, Monroe-Bronx 0-1

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – For all the runs that scored in the game on balls put in play, the game-winning run in Salem Tech’s historic home opener Thursday was scored on a heads-up play by a runner on the base paths.

Lucas Clement caught the pitcher and catcher napping between pitches with two outs in the fifth inning of a tie game and smartly stole home to give the Chargers the lead for good in an eventual 15-9 win over Wildwood Catholic in the first home game in their baseball history.

Clement was stationed at third, having moved around the bases on a walk, stolen base and passed ball, and was studying the interaction between Crusaders catcher Ash O’Donnell and reliever Theo Margarites, who had just come into the game moments earlier. The window opened and he was gone.

“I was standing over there for a while,” the senior third baseman explained, “and I realized every time that pitcher got the ball he just never gave me any attention. As soon as he caught the ball and started walking back I realized I can get home. I didn’t know if (coach John Helsel) would be a big fan of that with it being two out, but as soon as he threw the ball back I just saw my chance and took it.

“I went on my own. I didn’t know if he was going to be happy about it, but I knew if I got home it’d be a good thing and put us by a run. He hasn’t spoken to me about it yet; he’s my trade school teacher, so we’ll see. He might never allow me to do that again.”

Quite the contrary. Helsel wants the Chargers to be aggressive. They stole 10 bases in the game, six in a five-run second inning that staked them to a 6-0 lead.

Clement’s mad dash wasn’t the only time the Chargers’ speed got them a run. Courtesy runner Brayden McAllister didn’t slow down coming around third in the second inning when Landon Haley was called safe on a close two-out play at first similar to the one that got Phillies manager Rob Thomson tossed in the first inning against Washington earlier this week. It got that five-run outburst started. And Chase Pompper scored all the way from first in the sixth inning when he stole second and the attempt to get him at second sailed into center field.

“I like putting a little pressure on them; pressured people crack,” Helsel said. “I thought (Clement’s dash) was a great heads-up play. I have no problem with that. I want to be aggressive. I tell them keep their eyes open. If they throw over, go. They’ve got to catch the ball, throw the ball and catch it again to get you. I’ll take that chance.”

The third and fourth innings nearly did the Chargers in. They had trouble fielding pop ups in the infield in the third and the miscues allowed the visitors to tie it. The Crusaders tacked on three more in the fourth to get Tech starter Bryce Harris out of the game.

The Chargers missed an opportunity to answer the Crusaders’ big tinning when they loaded the bases with three straight one-out walks, but couldn’t get the runners home. They had a threat in the fourth, too, but only got one run out of it.

Jack Beal replaced Harris on the mound for the Chargers and he gave them three innings of shutout relief. The hard-throwing right-hander four hits and struck out five. The Crusaders loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but he put out the fire with a strike out and a game-ending grounder to second.

“I was just trying to keep it so they weren’t scoring any runs and could come back and win,” Beal said. “I was a little pumped up because it was the first game at Vo-Tech so I was trying to throw a little harder. I was really trying to get the first (home) win for the team.”

The Chargers’ entire fifth-inning rally came with two outs and once they got to the top of the order. Pompper got it started by reaching on an infield throwing error that got him to second. Cooper Coles and Clement delivered RBI singles to tie it. Clement scored the go-ahead run with his dash then Harris delivered a two-run single to make it 12-9.

Coles went 3-for-3, reached base all five times he came to the plate, scored five runs and was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle.

The Chargers tacked on three more in the sixth on Pompper’s run around the bases, an RBI single by Clement and Jaxson Raymond’s RBI double.

“This was a good game because, I told them, it showed character,” Helsel said. “After the Cumberland (10-run) first inning they all started fighting. I just was worried they were going to do what they did at Cumberland (after falling behind). But they overcame that and showed character by doing that.”.

Prior to first pitch school officials commemorated the inaugural home game with superintendent Jack Swain throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. It came in a little high, but when Salem Tech supporters talk about this day years from now they’ll say it was right down the middle.

Wildwood Catholic	006	300	0-	8	10	4
Salem Tech	150	153	x-	15	10	7

PENNSVILLE 8, PAULSBORO 3: It might not have been as impressive as the day before, but Mason O’Brien pitched out of another bases-loaded no-out situation and kept the game from getting away.

The junior left-hander came in to start the sixth inning with a 5-2 lead after starter Gavin Spears threw 72 pitches and fanned 10 through the first five. He gave up a walk, back-to-back singles and another walk to force in a run to start his outing, then struck out the next three hitters to put out the fire.

In Wednesday’s combined no-hitter against Pitman, O’Brien entered in mid-count with bases loaded and none out and got out of it with a short fly to left and two strikeouts. He got through the next inning on three pitches, an ultra-immaculate inning he called “pretty cool,” and finished with 19 pitches total, enough to tell head coach Matt Karr he wanted to pitch the next day.

“The coaches have a lot of trust in me and when they have a lot of trust in me then I believe in myself more,” O’Brien said. “I have the confidence in going out there and being capable of getting all those three outs with no one scoring or maybe one run scoring. I’m just thankful to my coaches for believing in me in those situations and allowing me to come in.”

“Mason is one of our leaders, (he’s) been starting since his freshman year,” Karr said. “There are not many other people I trust more than him. He and (Logan) Streitz are our leaders.”

The Red Raiders (0-3) had lost their first two games by a combined score of 39-3, but they led 2-1 after Kayden Weber’s open-field home run in the third. The play developed when Eagles outfielder Stevie Fatcher ran full-speed into the left field fence Aaron Howard style and chipped three teeth while the ball bounded away.

Fatcher stayed down for a while allowing Weber to round the basis. Once he got to his feet Fatcher stayed in the game and, Karr said, “gave us a big shot of energy by showing his toughness.”

The Eagles (2-0) took the lead in the bottom of the inning on Dante Cummings’ RBI single and a run-scoring error. They extended it in the fourth on O’Brien’s RBI single and Streitz’ sacrifice fly.

The Eagles answered the run Paulsboro got off O’Brien in the sixth with three in the bottom of the inning. Streitz had a two-run single and Fatcher’s sacrifice fly brought home the final run.

Cummings had three hits for the Eagles, while Spears, O’Brien and Grady Sanders each had two.

Paulsboro	101	001	0-	3	5	4
Pennsville	012	203	x-	8	12	0

Softball

SALEM TECH 14, HIGHLAND 11: Morgan Fogg and Carmen Mott hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles to highlight a six-run sixth inning rally that lifted the Chargers (5-1) to their season-best third straight win.

Fogg’s double snapped an 11-11 tie and gave the Chargers their first lead of the game. Mott followed with a two-run shot to extend the lead.

The Chargers, currently seventh in the South Jersey Group II power points standings, trailed 11-9 entering the inning. Shelby Drummond got the rally started when she circled the bases with a double and error. Claire Kier singled home Izzy Roberts to make it 11-10. Kier scored the tying run on a passed ball.

Roberts swent 4-for-4 at the plate and then set down the Tartans in order in the seventh, with two strikeouts, to close out the game.

Highland	141	311	0-	11	12	3
Salem Tech	104	126	x-	14	11	1

PAULSBORO 19, PENNS GROVE 1: The Red Raiders erupted for 12 runs in the first inning and held Penns Grove to two hits for the game. They had only four hits, but took advantage of 15 walks. Yeneris Garcia and Nyasia Numan had Penns Grove’s two hits.

Golf

PITMAN 180, WOODSTOWN 182: Joey Zubert played his final five holes on the front nine at Town & Country Golf Links in even par to shoot a 4-over-par 39 and win medalist honors in the tight match. Jack Bucksar posted Woodstown’s low round (41).
PITMAN: Max Pappalardo 49, Jake Bowen-Ashwin 44, Joey Zubert 39, Logan Sharpnack 48, Luke Friscoll 53, Dane Collum 52.
WOODSTOWN: Jack Bucksar 41, Alejandro Vazquez 44, Logan Jones 46, Austin Wood 51; Greyson Hyland 53, Chris Porreca 54.

SCHALICK 165, OVERBROOK 204: Michael Nelson birdied his final hole to pick up two shots on the leader and share medalist honors with teammate Seth Fisher at 4-over 40. All four of the Cougars’ counters at Kresson CC were in the 40s
SCHALICK: Anthony Sepers 42, Michael Nelson 40, Seth Fisher 40, Hunter Dragotta 43; Bradford Foster 45, Dylan Sheehan 51.
OVERBROOK: Jeffrey Boyd 48, Joseph Linane 56, Mark Scott 52, Harry Cieslak 48.

Tennis

WOODSTOWN 4, PENNSVILLE 1
Drew Stengel (WO) def. Lucas Cooksey, 4-6, 6-4, 10-3
Sawyer Humphrey (P) def. Mason Shimp, 7-6, 7-5, 10-3
Luke Shaw (WO) def. Carter Willis, 6-0, 6-0
Vincent Merendino-Nick DiTeodoro (WO) def. Matthew Forino-Ian Peacock, 6-0, 6-1
Connor Miller-Josh King (WO) def. Coen Rinnier-Jacob Cheeseman, 6-1, 6-2
Records: Woodstown 3-1, Pennsville 3-2.

College softball: SCC sweeps

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The Salem CC softball team made a long and fruitful trip to Flowers Park, sweeping Monroe-Bronx 21-0 and 20-1.

It’s the first time the Mighty Oaks (15-9) have scored 20 runs in both games of a doubleheader since the revival of the program

The Mighty Oaks pounded 26 hits in the doubleheader (12 and 14), while Raegan Wilson (three) and Emme Witter (two) scattered five hits and both struck out nine in the circle.

In the opener, Megan Koski and J.J. Aguirre both went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Lilly Peverelle homered..

The Mighty Oaks hit four homers in the nightcap. Aguirre hit two of them and had six RBIs. Witter and Tiana Wilson hit the others. Witter went 4-for-5.

The Mighty Oaks host Howard CC Friday at noon.