Close to clinching

Mighty Oaks in position to clinch a Region XIX playoff berth in final doubleheader of regular season after getting past Union

REGION 19 BASEBALL
Friday’s Games
Salem CC 11, Union 7
Brookdale 25, Ocean 6
RCSJ-Cumberland 12, Bergen 0
RCSJ-Gloucester 29, Delaware County 3
Camden 4, Northampton 3
Middlesex 16, Atlantic Cape 8

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT — The stage is set for the Salem CC baseball team to clinch a spot in the Region XIX playoffs, but it still has to take care of business in their final regular-season doubleheader.

The Mighty Oaks need only split Saturday’s twinbill with Union after Friday’s 11-7 win at The Treehouse to clinch a playoff spot, whether it’s the eighth seed outright, a play-in game or a better seed.

A split will leave them 17-16 in region, satisfying the .500 or better record in region play caveat; getting swept knocks them out. They can avoid a play-in game if Ocean gets swept by current second-place Brookdale (Ocean lost Game 1 25-4) and they could finish as high as seventh if they sweep, Ocean gets swept and then beats Montgomery Monday, which is why they’re so intent on sweeping Union in Saturday’s doubleheader, which has been moved to the Carneys Point Rec Complex (with the Owls as home team).

Two of the Mighty Oaks’ national statistical leaders added to their standing in the game. Tyler Hacker added two more stolen bases towards his goal of 60 (he has 56). Jason LeBold was hit with a pitch in each of his first two at-bats, making him the national leader in that category with 21.

The game was a lot closer than expected given the teams’ positions in the standings. The Mighty Oaks (21-26) scored three runs in the first inning and opened a 5-1 lead in the second, and needed all of it. They never lost the lead, but they couldn’t shake the Owls (7-29).

It was a two-run game until the Mighty Oaks put three up in the seventh on a run-scoring error, Hacker’s sacrifice fly and Rocco String’s RBI single.

Hacker had a two-run double in the first, a two-run single in the second and finished with five RBIs. Roman Hernandez had three hits and reached base four times.

There was a frightening moment in the fifth inning when Salem starter Seth McCormick collapsed hard on the mound after his left leg buckled after he delivered a warm-up pitch. As scary as the scene looked, and he was helped off the field, team officials expected the sophomore right-hander to be all right. He already was dealing with elbow issues.

This story will be updated.