Sutton sharp

Woodstown freshman just a tad better in pitching duel with Pennsville; also, scores and details from Wednesday’s Salem County sports calendar

BASEBALL
Woodstown 2, Pennsville 1
Pitman 20, Penns Grove 5
Rancocas Valley 10, Schalick 2
Overbrook 15, Salem 0
SOFTBALL
Overbrook 20, Salem 0
Pennsville 5, Woodstown 3
BOYS GOLF
Williamstown 179, Salem Tech 221
GIRLS GOLF
Cumberland 202, Schalick 242
TENNIS
Pennsville 4.5, Clayton 0.5
Schalick 4, Glassboro 1
Woodstown 5, Triton 0
GIRLS LACROSSE
Ocean City 17, Woodstown 8

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — Drew Sutton threw a perfect game without throwing a perfect game.

The Woodstown freshman right-hander delivered his second straight dynamic outing and the best start of his young career, pitching a complete-game four-hitter with a career-high eight strikeouts to win a pitching duel against two of Pennsville’s best and the game 2-1.

SUTTON

Sutton threw a career-high 90 pitches (69 for strikes) in the longest outing of his high school career that was played in a little over two hours. He threw more pitches for strikes against the Eagles (69) than he had total pitches in any of his previous four outings this seasons. 

He retired the first eight batters he faced before Jake Layfield singled in the third. With the exception of the run Pennsville scored on Steve Fatcher’s two-out RBI double in the fourth, no runner reached third base against him.

“All my pitches were probably the best they’ve ever been and my change-up every time I threw it it was the perfect spot,” he said. “It felt pretty good. Even before the game my arm felt pretty good. I knew I was going to pitch good.”

“He just challenges everyone; he’s not afraid of contact,” Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro said. “He’s got three really good pitches and when you play a team that has as many good lefties as they have you’ve got to be able to throw a changeup, and that was his out pitch against all the lefties. And once we got the lefties on the changeup he’s able to throw the fastball for strikes. He just never stops throwing strikes.” 

The last time Sutton felt as good as he did Wednesday was the last time he pitched — a week and a half ago before the Wolverines’ schedule broke for the school’s Senior Trip. In his previous outing, April 18 against Sterling, he gave his team six innings of three-hit shutout relief and struck out seven in another 2-1 win. He’s now 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 25 strikeouts (to just two walks) in 24 innings pitched.

“I’ll be honest,” DeCastro said. “He’s going to face different types of hitters, different levels of hitters, but this is the same as he’s always been. He throws a million strikes.

“As much as he strikes people out, he does it on three or four pitches. He doesn’t take a long time to do it. He gets early contact on really good off-speed pitches so he only throws 12-13 pitches an inning. That’s really the only way you’re going to throw a complete game for me in the regular season, be outrageously efficient.”

The Eagles (7-5) never really threatened him – or at least he didn’t let them. They got a runner at second with two outs in the third; left him there. Fatcher got his RBI double with two outs in the fourth and was stranded. They put the first two runners on in the fifth with the help of a throw pulling a fielder off second on a force and Sutton got out of it with two strikeouts and a fly to center. They had a runner on the move in the sixth, but that went nowhere as the batter was called out for interference.

“We’ve got to find ways to put the ball in play,” Pennsville coach Matt Karr said. “Their guy did a good job; kept us at bay. He was able to settle in and be comfortable. We were able to get some guys on, but you’re not going to win baseball games if you can’t move guys over. We have to figure ourselves out and get back to playing good baseball.”

The Wolverines (8-5) could say the same thing the way their offense has been going of late.

Pennsville’s pitchers – Gavin Spears (10 strikeouts) and Mason O’Brien (in the sixth) – didn’t yield much, either. They held Woodstown to four hits, too, but issued five walks.

The Wolverines scored their two runs in the first inning on Ty Coblentz’ sacrifice fly after Walker Battavio drew a leadoff walk and worked his way around the bases on a pair of wild pitches and Tommy Tucci’s RBI single with a lazy relay. They put runners at second and third with one out in the fourth and the top of the order coming up, but Spears got out of that jam with two strikeouts.

“We did a good job getting on and couldn’t finish, so we have to learn how to be able to finish,” DeCastro said. “We just had too many opportunities to score runs. That game should’ve been – no offense to anyone – maybe 5 or 6-1. Beginning of the season was good, the last few games we really struggled. We have to start doing some different type of things to score runs.”

With those offensive struggles, Sutton knew he had to pitch good, especially late in the game. And he did. 

Pennsville0001000-141
Woodstown2000000-241
WP: Drew Sutton. LP: Gavin Spears. 2B: Steve Fatcher (P).


RANCOCAS VALLEY 10, SCHALICK 2: The Group 4 Red Devils batted around in the first inning and scored four runs to take control, then held the Cougars hitless for four innings and off the scoreboard until the sixth inning.

RV’s first inning was highlighted by RBI doubles from starting pitcher Eddie Ruminski and Aiden Gaskill. Gaskill went 4-for-4 with two RBIs.

Ruminski gave the Red Devils four no-hit innings, allowing only three baserunners. Cole Hartley broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single in the fifth off reliever Aiden Gaines. Hartley was erased on a double play the next play.

The Cougars scored their two runs in the sixth inning when Wyatt Cushane raced home from third on a passed ball and Bo Schalick delivered a one-out RBI single.

PITMAN 20, PENNS GROVE 5: Carter Snyder went 4-for-4 with two extra-base hits and five RBIs and three Panthers pitchers kept the Red Devils at arms length to snap a six-game losing streak.

The Red Devils answered Pitman’s two in the first with two in the home half of the inning on Dylan Hyatt’s steal of home and an error in the outfield, but the Panthers scored a run in the second and never trailed again, ultimately breaking it open with 13 runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Josh Widen had three hits and two RBIs for Penns Grove. Lian Irvin and starting pitcher Dylan Hyatt had two hits apiece.

OVERBROOK 15, SALEM 0: Connor McNally went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and Luke Boyd held the Rams to one hit in the five-inning game. Boyd was one out away from a perfect game when Danny Grusemeyer reached on an error and Zay Davis broke up the no-hitter with a infield single.

Softball: Weber sharp, Harris homers

PENNSVILLE — Woodstown had three runs on the board after only four hitters, but Pennsville pitcher Graillyn Weber was unyielding after that and the Eagles rallied to take a 5-3 victory.

The Wolverines got their runs on a leadoff double by Ellie Wygand, RBI single by Talia Guardascione, an RBI double by Leah Clark and Kendall Young’s sacrifice fly for the first out of the inning. From there, Weber put up zeroes. She gave up only five more hits and retired 20 of the last 25 batters she faced. Once the Eagles took the lead in the third she retired 12 of the last 16.

“Graillyn stayed positive and continued to work her pitches and settled in nicely,” Pennsville coach Beth Jackson said.

“She did an awesome job today and the defense was right there behind her to back her up,” catcher Kylie Harris added.

The Eagles got single runs in the home first and second, then took the lead in the third. Harris tied it with a one-out solo homer and Kenzie Widener put them ahead by racing home from third on a passed ball. They added an insurance run in the fifth on Widener’s RBI double.

“After the top of the first the girls went to work and chipped away at their lead,” Jackson said. “They put the ball in play and got some timely hits.”

Harris, Widener and Reagan Wariwanchik all had a pair of hits for the Eagles (8-3). Guardascione had three hits for the Wolverines (6-5)

The Wolverines had runners at second and third with two outs in the seventh, but Weber crushed the threat with a game-ending pop to second.

Woodstown3000000-384
Pennsville112010x-571
WP: Graillyn Weber. LP: Leah Clark. 2B: Ellie Wygand (WO), Kenzie Widener (P). 3B: Ellie Wygand (WO), Leah Clark (WO). HR: Kylie Harris (P)

OVERBROOK 20, SALEM 0: The Rams erupted for 16 runs in the third inning and held Salem to one hit in the four-inning game. Khloe Bubier had Salem’s only hit, a one-out single in the first inning

Golf

WILLIAMSTOWN 179, SALEM TECH 221
WILLIAMSTOWN: Cole Schneeweis 44, Phillip Foley 44, Nick Pushkar 46, Chase Dowd 45. Also, Matt Larsen 50, Jason Boyer 51.
SALEM TECH: Sophie Conto 53, Hannah Kormann 53, Thomas Conto 54. Jonah Baynes 61. Also, Daniel Atanasio 66, Avery Dalton 70

CUMBERLAND GIRLS 202, SCHALICK 242
CUMBERLAND: Nicole Tarquinio 40, Maahishee Patel 44, Molly Houck 56, Mollie Willis 62. Also, Kaitlyn Daly 66, Sophia Dunn 71
SCHALICK: Cali Fisler 55, Miya Watkins 60, Elena McGovern 62, Alexis Ohara 65. Also, Caitlin Cutler 68, Jazmin Perez 70

Tennis

PENNSVILLE 4.5, CLAYTON 0.5
Sawyer Humphrey (P) drew with James Mai
Lucas Cooksey (P) def. Jayden Sanchez, 6-2, 6-0
Carter (P) def. Michael Cummings, 6-1, 6-1
Coen Rinnier-Jacob Cheeseman (P) def. Robert Schultz-Dyshamir Miller, 6-0, 6-0
Lucas Thomas-Ian Peacock (P) def. Malcolm Turpin-Colin Schultz, 6-2, 6-0
Records: Pennsville 10-5, Clayton 3-8.

SCHALICK 4, GLASSBORO 1
Andrew Miller (G) def. Gabe McFeeley, 6-0, 6-4
Reece Loatman (S) def. James Pence, 6-2, 6-2
Tyr Brattlie (S) def. Seth Taylor, 6-2, 6-2
Cooper Halperin-Jack Genievich (S) def. Joy Patel-Vincent Pasquarello, 6-2, 6-2
Angelo Boston-Gavin McGrath (S) def. Zack Bailey-Nico Tsoukalis, 6-2, 6-2
Records: Schalick 6-6, Glassboro 0-10-1.

WOODSTOWN 5, TRITON 0
Drew Stengel (WO) def/ Shrey Modi, 6-2, 6-0
Mason Shimp (WO) def. Cole Durham, 6-3, 6-3
Nick DiTeodoro (WO) def. Tirth Patel, 6-0, 6-0
Vincent Merendino-Josef Hummel (W) def. Sean Gorski-Brennan Zabala, 6-4, 6-3
Connor Miller-Josh King (WO) def. Tomas Ledesma-Shane O’Donnell, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Woodstown 9-4, Triton 4-9.

Girls lacrosse

OCEAN CITY 17, WOODSTOWN 8: Marley Ostrander, who just recently scored her 100th career goal, scored five goals and three others each scored three as the Red Raiders won their fourth in a row. Delaney Walker led Woodstown with four goals, running her career total to 204 on her march to the school’s all-time record (236). Blair Baldi scored twice and Arianna Hyman and Emma Morgan each scored once.

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