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Mighty Oaks heartbroken
Salem CC lost early leads in both of their Region XIX softball playoff games, were walked off bottom of the seventh of the elimination game
REGION 19 D2 PLAYOFFS Friday’s Games Mercer 8, Salem CC 3 Delaware Tech 5, Lackawanna 0 Lackawanna 6, Salem CC 5 Mercer 4, Delaware Tech 2 Saturday’s Games Lackawanna vs. Delaware Tech, 10 a.m. Delaware Tech-Lackawanna winner vs. Mercer, noon If necessary, 2 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WEST WINDSOR – Salem CC’s trip to this year’s Region XIX softball playoffs started with such promise, evoking memories of their start two years ago when they upset the No. 1 seed in the opening round. But then the No. 1 seed came to life.
Fourth-seeded Salem grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning of their opening round game against Mercer, but the top-seeded Mustangs shut it down and their own bats came to life sending the Mighty Oaks to an 8-3 loss.
The elimination game was even more heartbreaking. The Mighty Oaks took a four-run lead into the sixth inning and a two-run lead into the seventh, but Lackawanna walked it off on Mekenzie Dineen’s bases-loaded triple with two out in the bottom of the seventh, 6-5.
Two years ago, the Mighty Oaks were the fourth seed and Mercer the 1 and Salem pulled off a 6-0 upset. It looked like things would repeat Friday when they scored three runs right out of the gate.
Lilly Peverelle got it started with a one-out double. She scored on J.J. Aguirre’s two-out single, Emme Witter followed with a single and Savannah Palverento brought them both home with a smash off pitcher Jozalyn Sheipe-Warthen’s glove.
After that, however, they managed only three hits off Sheipe-Warthan and five baserunners. They did get runners to third in the second and fourth innings, but failed to bring them home.
Mercer tied it in the third, then took the lead in the fifth after putting the first two runners on forcing Salem starter Reagan Wilson out of the game. Both runners stole bases to advance, then Sheipe-Warthen delivered a sacrifice fly and Karisa Krawiec doubled. The Mustangs added three insurance runs in the sixth, a rally capped by Sheipe-Warthen’s two-out, two-run double on a 3-2 pitch from reliever Jordyn Busch.
Bella Rappa and Palverento each had two hits in the game for the Mighty Oaks.
They were in an even better position in the elimination game. They scored two in the first and two in the fourth and led 5-0 going to the bottom of the fifth.
Busch held Lackawanna to three hits over the first four inning. The Lady Falcons scored their first run in 12 tournament innings in the fifth and closed the gap with two in the sixth.
Riley Knott got the seventh-inning rally started with a single. The Lady Falcons loaded the bases on one-out singles by Mackenzie Adolfson and Gracie Sokol. Busch got Mia Scalese to pop out to short, then Dineen lined a triple to center to win the game.
The Mighty Oaks scored two in the first on Megan Koski’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring error. They doubled the lead in the fourth when Jocelyn Melendez and Rappa raced home on passed balls. Palverento’s RBI double gave them a 5-0 lead in the fifth, her second hit of the game.
Riverview Sports News 