Mighty Oaks know precisely what they have to do to make the Region 19 playoffs after being swept by Mercer, get some help from RCSJ-Cumberland
TUESDAY REGION XIX BASEBALL
Mercer 12-9, Salem CC 1-4
Delaware Tech 9-5, Monroe 2-3
Northampton 17, Montgomery 4
Camden 11, Atlantic Cape 10
RCSJ-Cumberland 10, Ocean 0
Middlesex 8, Raritan Valley 7
Union 17, Queensborough 3
By Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — The Salem CC baseball team knows exactly what has to happen this weekend if they want to make the Region XIX playoffs after being swept by Mercer 12-1 and 9-3 Tuesday.
The losses left the Mighty Oaks (20-26, 15-15) no chance to have a .500 or better regular season with three games left, but they can still qualify for the playoffs by taking at least two of three against Union this weekend.
They could avoid a play-in game for the final playoff spot by winning two of three this weekend and having Ocean (17-18, 14-15) go no better than 2-2 in its final four games (Wednesday vs. Delaware County and three vs. region current No. 2 Brookdale). In other words, assuming Ocean beats one-win Delaware County Wednesday, the Mighty Oaks would get in by winning their weekend series and Ocean losing theirs.
Ocean lost Tuesday to RCSJ-Cumberland 10-0. Former Schalick pitcher Lucas D’Agostino threw a seven-inning complete-game two-hitter and the Dukes walked it off with seven in the bottom of the seventh.
No doubt the Mighty Oaks will have to hit better over the weekend than they did Tuesday.
Mercer held them to five hits in the five-inning opener and held them the one hit in the nightcap.
The Mighty Oaks scored the first run of the doubleheader when Cliff Wysinger opened the home first with a double, was sacrificed to third by Jason LeBold and rode home on Tyler Hacker’s sacrifice fly. Wysinger had a pair of doubles in the game.
It stayed that way until the third when Mercer reached Salem starter Joe Pallante for five runs. The visitors added three in the fourth and four in the fifth.
The Mighty Oaks were no-hit through four innings of the nightcap. Wysinger broke up the no-hitter with a single to left to load the bases with none out. They got two runs out of the threat on a sacrifice fly and a double steal. It cut Mercer’s lead to 7-2.
Even though the Mighty Oaks had only one hit, they had plenty of base runners. Mercer walked 14 and hit one.
Salem added two more runs in the seventh on Roman Hernandez’ bases-loaded sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk to Jacob Sharrow.
| Mercer | 005 | 34- | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Salem CC | 100 | 00- | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Mercer | 211 | 122 | 0- | 9 | 12 | 0 |
| Salem CC | 000 | 020 | 2- | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Softball: Bracket announced
The Salem CC softball team is seeded fourth and will play top-seeded host Mercer Friday at 10 a.m. in the opening-round of the Region XIX Division II tournament. The bracket was officially announced Tuesday.
Delaware Tech and Lackawanna are seeded 2-3, respectively, and will play their opening-round game at noon.
An elimination round game will be played at 2 p.m., followed by the winner’s bracket game at 4.
The loser’s bracket final will be Saturday at 10 a.m., following the championship game at noon (with an if necessary game at 2 p.m.
Two years ago, the Mighty Oaks went to Mercer as the No. 4 seed and one-hit the top-seeded host team 6-0. Two weeks ago the teams played in Pennsville and Mercer barely escaped with a sweep, 8-4 and 7-6.
Riverview Sports News 