Pennsville softball rips four first-inning doubles on the way to a division-controlling win over Pitman; includes scores and highlights from Friday’s Salem County sports action
SOFTBALL
Cape May Tech 16, Salem 2
Cumberland 13, Woodstown 6
Pennsville 8, Pitman 1
BASEBALL
Cumberland 7, Woodstown 0
Pennsville 9, Pitman 6
Salem Tech at Atlantic City
TENNIS
Delsea 3, Woodstown 2
Schalick at Penns Grove
GOLF
Audubon 165, Pennsville 221
Lower Cape May 161, Schalick 166
Overbrook 202, Salem Tech 214
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown 20, Millville 3
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Camden 6, Salem CC 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — The players on the Pennsville softball team were arriving at second base so often in the first inning Friday one would have thought stopping at first base was just a suggestion.
The Eagles produced three straight RBI doubles from the heart of their batting order in the first inning and a two-run two-bagger later in the inning to set the stage for an 8-1 win over Pitman that gave them complete control of the TCC Classic Division race.
The Eagles (7-1) hit five doubles for the second game in a row. Kylie Harris, the recognized Queen of the Double, hit two. It was such a complete win, eight players got a hit and six scored. Graillyn Weber came within one out of posting their third straight shutout.
Pennsville took control of their straight win from the start. Lily Edwards started the inning with a single and stole second. After Weber flew out to deep right, the Eagles got consecutive RBI doubles from Harris (the 45th of her career), Avery Watson and Kenzie Widener.
“That was so crazy,” Harris said. “I think we just connected the ball really well and found the gaps. I’ve never seen three doubles hit in a row like that, but that was the best feeling ever, especially here on our field. Probably maybe we’ve had three doubles, but never back-to-back like that. That was awesome.”
Later in the inning, Taylor Bass hit her first career double to drive in the last two runs of the inning. Harris hit her 46th career double later in the game and scored the Eagles’ final run on an RBI single by Widener. The Eagles have hit 24 doubles this season, half of which have come on their home field.
“It’s just like a momentum thing,” Watson said. “We all see each other ripping line drives off this girl – both of them were great pitchers – and we gave each other advice coming into the dugout and saw what we saw up there.
“Taylor’s (double) was really exciting. Seeing someone new to the game ripping a double out there is really exciting and it gets everyone hyped in the dugout. We were all talking like I’ve never seen this many doubles in a row before. It was just exciting. That’s what keeps us going.”
The Eagles don’t need extra-base hits in order to score. They used aggressive baserunning and Pitman errors to score two more runs in the second inning and extend the lead to 7-0. The next inning the Panthers brought in Listella Eisenhart to pitch and the sophomore lefthander kept the Eagles off the board until the sixth.
The big early lead made it more comfortable for Weber to throw strikes. She gave up just one hit over the first four innings, facing just three batters over the minimum, and kept the Panthers off the board until she tired in the seventh. The Panthers loaded the bases and scored on Cassidy Batten’s sacrifice fly and then Weber ended the game on the next pitch. It was the first run Pennsville allowed since Haddon Heights’ walk-off homer last Friday.
She gave up five hits, struck out three and walked one (in the seventh inning).
“I threw pretty good,” Weber said. “I probably could’ve been better on a few pitches, but I did pretty good. I’m happy with my results.”
The defense kept the shutout bid alive. The biggest run-saver came in the fifth when Eisenhart led off with a triple and with Delaney Pierson showing bunt, catcher Harris threw behind Eisenhart and got her in a rundown, where she was easily tagged out. Pierson wound up singling that would’ve gotten the run home.
Harris almost turned a double play two batters later when she caught a foul pop, but threw too high to first to get a runner who strayed too far off the base. Watson turned a nifty double play going to the backhand side earlier in the game and made two diving stops to keep singles from going into the outfield for potentially extra bases. And Reagan Wariwanchik snared a rising liner at second base that looked like it was headed into the outfield.
“They helped me a lot; I really appreciate it,” Weber said. “There were a lot of good plays made today, that honestly made me happy. I’m glad that our defense got a little chance when I’m pitching to field a little bit because I know they don’t get a lot. I tried to keep my arms to myself when I was pitching today a little more.”
CUMBERLAND 13, WOODSTOWN 6: Ellie Wygand went 4-for-4 at the top of the Woodstown lineup, but the Wolverines were in catch-up mode all day after the Colts erupted for seven runs with two outs in the home first.
Woodstown pitcher Leah Clark retired the first two batters she faced, then the Colts put together a walk and seven straight hits. The Wolverines cut into their deficit with three runs in the third on Macie Moore’s RBI triple, an RBI single by Wygand, and Madison LaPalomento’s run-scoring ground out, but the Colts got them all back in the fifth.
CAPE MAY TECH 16, SALEM 2: The Hawks broke open a close game with nine runs in the third inning. and Emma Oravits held the Rams to one hit.
The big inning was highlighted by a two-run single from Addison LeSage and a two-run triple from Melissa Rivello. Madison Johnson had Salem’s only hit, a third-inning single. Oravits faced the minimum through three innings thanks to a pair of double plays.
BASEBALL
PENNSVILLE 9, PITMAN 6: The Eagles rallied from a 6-2 deficit with seven runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and reliever Gavin Spears was sharp on the mound after a rough start to score the divisional win.
Logan Streitz started tor the Eagles and pitched into the second inning on 30 pitches to prep for Saturday’s Steal Your Base (Williamstown) Tournament start against Kingsway. Spears was tabbed for 30 pitches as well, but after he gave up five runs in the third inning the Eagles just had him eat innings.
It turned out to be a good move. After finding himself, Spears held the Panthers hitless over the last four innings, facing just two batters over the minimum, while the Eagles rallied. Spears went 5 2/3 innings and struck out 12.
The Eagles (7-1) tied the game in the fifth when the Panthers misplayed Logan Cowperthwiat’s fly to right into a pair of run. They took the lead in the sixth when Mason O’Brien scored on a wild pitch and extended it on RBI singles by Jake Layfield and Mike McClincy.
“(Spears) went to work on the mound, pitched very well, pounded the zone and challenge hitters,” Pennsville coach Matt Karr said. “The offense chipped away and kept winning innings and we found a way to win. I’m proud of their effort to dig out of the hole on the road against a division opponent.”
CUMBERLAND 7, WOODSTOWN 0: Kameron Fiorani and Peyton Brennan shut out the Wolverines on five hits and Fiorani hit a two-run homer in the sixth to put an exclamation point on the performance.
Fiorani went the first six innings, giving up five hits, walking four and striking out five. Brenner set the Wolverines down in order in the seventh.
The Wolverines mounted a few threats, getting five runners in scoring position, but Fiorani got out of them every time. His defense helped with two double plays.
GOLF
LOWER CAPE MAY 161, SCHALICK 166: Schalick senior Seth Fisher birdied 4 and 5 at Centerton CC to shoot even-par 35 and win medalist honors, but Lower Cape May posted two scores in the 30s to win the match. Cole Bade shot 37 and Alex Sekela 39 to lead the Caper Tigers.
The girls teams also played and LCM’s Lina Tastevin posted the low round (49). Jasmine Hunt shot Schalick’s low score (57).
AUDUBON 165, PENNSVILLE 221: The Green Wave posted the four lowest scores of the day to win the match. Ben Cameron was Audubon’s low man (40). Trevor Hann led Pennsville with a 48.
OVERBROOK 202, SALEM TECH 214: Joseph Linane parred his last three holes to shoot 4-over 40 at Kresson GC and lead the Rams to victory. Sophia Conto shot the Chargers’ low round (46).
GIRLS LACROSSE
WOODSTOWN 20, MILLVILLE 3: Delaney Walker moved closer to 200 career goals when she scored five and Arianna Hyman pumped in four to help the Wolverines snap a three-game losing streak.
Walker now has 195 career goals. Her first chance at the milestone will be April 28 at home against West Deptford. Isabella Lindenmuth, Angelina Lindenmuth, Blair Baldi and Emma Perry scored two goals apiece for the Wolverines (5-3).
TENNIS
DELSEA 3, WOODSTOWN 2
Zeph Kell (D) def. Drew Stengel, 6-4, 6-2
Eli Croce (D) def. Mason Shimp, 6-2, 6-1
Zach Natalie (D) def. Luke Shaw, 6-2, 6-4
Vincent Merendino-Nick DiTeodoro (Wo) def. Jacob Bramble-Jude Thompson, 4-6, 7-6 (7-0), 10-8
Connor Miller-Josh King (Wo) def. Marcus Saigueiro-Seth Bui, 7-5, 6-1.
Records: Delsea 7-1, Woodstown 8-3
College baseball
FRIDAY’S REGION XIX GAMES
Camden 6, Salem CC 1
Brookdale 22, Union 4
Mercer 25, Morris 7
Northampton 14, Atlantic Cape 4
Middlesex 13, RCSJ-Cumberland 7
Bergen 29, Delaware County 7
Lackawanna 19, Delaware Tech 9
BLACKWOOD — Two Camden pitchers held Salem CC to two singles and off the scoreboard until the ninth inning to beat the Mighty Oaks in their series opener 6-1.
Nick Mokienko, a freshman right-hander with a sub-1.50 ERA, worked the first 7 2/3 innings and gave up one hit while striking out 11. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last six appearances (24 innings). Michael Manera came in behind him and gave up one hit and the Mighty Oaks’ only run.
Until the ninth, the only hit the Mighty Oaks mustered was Colin McLaughlin’s leadoff single in the fifth. Mokienko faced only one batters over the minimum through the first four innings
The Mighty Oaks finally got on the board in the ninth. Jason LeBold led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season and Tyler Hacker singled. The runners pulled off a double steal and LeBold rode home on Roman Hernandez; sacrifice fly.
The Cougars scored two runs in each of the first two innings. C Hudson delivered a two-out two-run single off Pat Seitzinger in the first and I Monteith hit a two-run double in the second.
The series concludes with a noon doubleheader Saturday at the Carneys Point Rec Complex.
Riverview Sports News 