Author: almusky

The beat goes on

Salem CC softball reaches 20 wins for season, extends winning streak to 18 games; perhaps it’s time to bring the Oaks into the national picture

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – K.C. Garcia was just a little bit surprised when she was asked to participate in the post-game interviews after another weekend of Salem CC softball sweeps. 

GARCIA

It isn’t often a reserve outfielder with 25 at bats on the season gets requested to provide some insight on another Mighty Oaks run-rule sweep, but with a little bit of reflection the reason became abundantly clear.

It wasn’t lost on the sophomore from Houston the significance her jersey number has on the results of the day.

Salem reached the 20-win plateau for season Sunday with a 10-2, 11-0 sweep of Bucks CC at Watson Field. Neither game made it past the fifth inning.

“Our 20 wins, which is our highest record that we’ve had,” the Mighty Oaks’ No. 20 said. “It hasn’t (sunk in) yet, but I think it will a little bit later.”

Sunday’s sweep also extended the Oaks’ winning streak to 18 games, which is two more wins than they had all of last season.

The 20 wins aren’t quite enough to get the Oaks (20-4) in the playoffs yet – with a projected 48-game schedule that magic number is four for a .500 record to qualify – but it does represent a significant improvement over the team’s record in its resumption of play a year ago, which has been the goal all along. The Oaks were 13-11 after 24 games a year ago.

“(The 20) means a lot to me,” pitcher Caitlin LaGreca said. “Especially coming from last year since our record was definitely not like that last year.”

“We made our first mark last year, having the first team in quite some time, so anything we did last year was just great because we got it going,” Oaks coach Angel Rodriguez said. “This year we wanted to set the bar a little higher and we went out and got a team that’s going to put in the work to do that. We’re just creating our own history here and we love it. The goal we had was to be better than we were last year and build from there and we’re just glad to be doing that now.”

It was another big day for the offense, supported by more sharp pitching in the circle. The Oaks banged out 27 hits in the two games.  The first six batters in their lineup went a combined 23-for-38 with 18 RBIs, 10 extra-base hits and a pair of homers in the doubleheader. Pitchers LaGreca and Morgan Mecham allowed three hits in each game.

Ella Hayes went 4-for-5 with eight RBIs in the doubleheader and came within a homer of hitting the cycle in the nightcap. Karyn Trice went 3-for-3 in Game 2 and 5-for-6 with five runs in the twinbill. Faith Penn had three hits and four runs; Vaye Savage had three hits with a homer in the opener and five RBIs; Haylee Pickrell had three hits with a homer in the nightcap, and Courtney Hoggard had four hits and two RBIs.

“Since I’m the third batter I always tell Karyn and Faith to do a job and I’ll get them in, and they’ve been doing their jobs every time,” Hayes said. “I’m pretty sure they’re all the RBIs I’ve had or pretty close. I really rely on them to get the job done and I know if I can’t get the job done they or (the following hitters) will get it done.”

The pitchers have given up 36 runs in the winning streak, but 21 of those came in two games. LaGreca’s shutout in the nightcap was the Oaks’ seventh during the streak and ninth of the season.

The longer the streak goes, the pitchers might start feeling the squeeze to keep it going. LaGreca said she feels pressure “sometimes,” but she relies on her teammates’ continual support to bring her through it.

“There is pressure, we have that chip on our shoulder, but we also have that swagger in us that allows us to play loose and have fun,” Hayes said.

For all the success the Mighty Oaks have enjoyed in the last month, it hasn’t shown up on the national scene. It remains to be seen if they will be ranked in the JUCO Division II Top 20 when it comes out Monday. Their .427 team batting average would rank fourth nationally, their 9.9 runs per game average would be among the leaders and their 2.40 ERA would be T-7 among teams with 18 games or more.

“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be; I think we have a good shot,” Rodriguez said. “We’re playing hot. We’re doing all the right things. The first step was getting a player recognized for the first time (GSAC Player of the Week Hayes). That’s a good start; hopefully we can make a good argument this week and see when the new rankings come up. It’s definitely going to be nice to see it, but (if) we don’t see it, it’s just more motivation for us – what do we have to keep doing to get there.”

The Oaks haven’t suffered a loss since March 10, their final game in the Carolinas. They’ve trailed only four times during the winning streak and never after the fifth inning. It begs the question, will the Oaks ever lose again? The law of averages and nature of the game would suggest the streak will end at some point, but the players won’t hear of it.

“No, no shot,” Hayes said. “I won’t allow it. None of us will allow it. We’re going to keep that win streak.”

“Never again, never again,” Garcia said emphatically. “I’ll bet you 20.”

There’s that number again.

Vaye Savage is greeted at the plate by her Salem CC teammates after hitting a two-run homer to open up Game 1 of their doubleheader with Bucks CC. On the cover, big hitter Ella Hayes (L) and second-game pitcher Caitlin LaGreca (R) point out the Mighty Oaks’ win total after the sweep with the help of K.C. Garcia’s jersey.

No rust from rain

Salem CC softball returns to field and routs Raritan Valley CC, winning streak hits 16

By Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Apparently, a week off the field due to inclement weather did little to dull the Salem CC softball team’s eye at the plate or its winning streak.

The Mighty Oaks returned to action for the first time since March 29 and overwhelmed Raritan Valley CC in a 23-1, 19-0 sweep to run their winning streak to 16 games.

The Oaks had only 19 hits in the two games, but drew 10 walks in each.

In their first inning back in competition, they scored 11 runs on one hit. Sixteen batters came to the plate with Courtney Hoggard delivering the only hit, a two-run single that made it 11-0. There were seven walks and five hit batsmen. Each of their first three batters walked – on 13 total pitches.

Hoggard and Ella Hayes both went 3-for-3 in the game. Hoggard had three RBIs. Hayes hit a solo homer and finished with six RBIs.

In the nightcap, Callie Rozak went 2-for-2 with five RBIs, Tessa Wise had three RBIs and Kiki Beukman had two hits and two RBIs.

Two pitchers combined on a one-hitter in the nightcap, facing only two batters over the minimum. Morgan Mecham pitched the first three innings and struck out eight. Jill Robinson closed it out with two innings of no-hit relief.

The Mighty Oaks (18-4) host Bucks County CC in a doubleheader at Watson Field Sunday starting at noon.

Saturday roundup

Here is a roundup of Saturday’s action involving Salem County high schools in track, baseball and lacrosse

Track

DEPTFORD – Salem’s Anthony Parker and DaviYonn (Pop) Jackson won individual events and four other Salem County athletes or relays won medals at the Deptford Spartan Relays Saturday.

Parker won the boys 400 Hurdles in 58.50 and Jackson won by boys triple by by a quarter-inch with a winning jump of 43-5.5.

The top three finishers in each event received medals.

Pennsville’s Connor Ayars finished second in the boys javelin (154-2). Schalick’s Grace O’Neill was third in the girls 400 Hurdles (1:11.64), Pennsville’s Megan Morris was third in the firls pole vault (8-0); and the Cougars’ girls 1600 sprint medley team (Ella Shimp, Karlie Bakley, Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci) was third in 4:39.67.

Below are the Salem County athletes who finished in the top eight of their respective events.

DEPTFORD SPARTAN RELAYS
(Top 3 places win medals)
BOYS
400 Hurdles: 1. Anthony Parker, Salem, 58.50
Distance Medley: 8. Schalick (Bradford Foster, Charles Fuerneisen, Steve Chomo, Salvatore Longo), 12:20.17
800 Sprint Medley: 8. Salem (Jelani Beverly, Omarion Pierce, Terrance Smith, Anthony Parker), 1:41.39
4×100 Shuttle Hurdle: 6. Schalick, 1:18.92
4×800: 4. Schalick (Steve Chomo, Charles Fuerneisen, Wyatt Juczak, Salvatore Longo), 9:11.16
4×200: 4. Salem (Anthony Parker, Terrance Smith, Omarion Pierce, Kaden Robinson), 1:35.41
4×400: 6. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Jacob Carter, Hunter Dragotta, Sickler Kolby), 3:44.72; 8. Penns Grove (Knowledge Young, Theus Barrios, Sebastian Hernandez, Kylee Goodson), 3:47.33
Javelin: 2. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 154-2; 5. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 135-10
Long Jump: 5. David Stewart, Schalick, 19-0
Triple Jump: 1. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 43-5.5; 7. David Stewart, Schalick, 39-11

GIRLS
400 Hurdles: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:11.64
Distance Medley: 5. Schalick (Jordan Hadfield, Sophia Longo, Ella Shimp, Grace O’Neill), 14:04.16
800 Sprint Medley: 5. Salem (Karima Davenport-White, Anna Buzby, Rhionna Timmons, Dayana Jones), 1:57.57
4×100 Shuttle Hurdle: 4. Salem (Anna Buzby, Karima Davenport-White, Tahirah Davenport-White, LaMiracle Summers), 1:13.74; 8. Schalick (Brooke Watt, Gabriella Simonini, Allison Phillips, Grace O’Neill), 1:16.90
4×800: 6. Schalick (Caylen Taylor, Jordan Hadfield, Ella Shimp, Sophia Longo), 11:15.20
4×200: 4. Salem (Anna Buzby, Karima Davenport-White, Rhionna Timmons, Dayana Jones), 1:53.81
1600 Sprint Medley: 3. Schalick (Ella Shimp, Karlie Bakley, Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci), 4:39.67
4×400: 7. Schalick (Karlie Bakley, Alivia Klancic, Katelyn Little, Sophia Longo), 4:37.77
Discus: 5. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 97-8
High Jump: T-6. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 4-8
Pole Vault: 3. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 8-0; 5. Anna Buzby, Salem, 7-6

Baseball

KELLY TOURNAMENT
SCHALICK 11, CLAYTON 1
GLOUCESTER CITY 6, SCHALICK 5

The Cougars misplayed Ayden Daily’s bases-loaded grounder to third with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to chase home the decisive run against Gloucester City.

In their opening-game victory, Ricky Watt and Luke Pokrovsky both hit a pair of doubles and combined for seven RBIs and two pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Cougars beat Clayton.

Seven of the Cougars’ 14 hits in the game were doubles. Every spot in the lineup had at least one hit. Watt went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Pokrovsky went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.Cole Hartley pitched the first four innings of the five-inning game, giving up two hits and a run. Jamari Whitley pitched a one-hit fifth with three strikeouts.

CEDAR CREEK 12, WOODSTOWN 8: The Wolverines had answers for almost every Cedar Creek salvo except the four-spot the Pirates put up in the third inning and was the difference in the game.

Sean O’Kane and Tyler McCorriston both went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Pirates. Brent Williams had the big bat for Woodstown, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Jack Holladay and Ty Coblentz both had a pair of hits for the Wolverines.

GCIT 19, PENNSVILLE 1: Eagles coach Matt Karr wasn’t making excuses, but he can’t remember seeing as many hits off the handle and seeing-eye singles GCIT produced in a 16-run third inning that broke the game open.

The Cheetahs sent 20 batters to the plate in the inning and banged out 12 hits. Ben Sumek batted three times with a walk, single, bases-loaded double and five RBIs, Willie Popoff had a single, triple and four RBIs.

Cohen Petrutz had two of Pennsville’s four hits and Stevie Fatcher drove in their only run.

Lacrosse

WASHINGTON TWP. 16, WOODSTOWN 9: The Wolverines played their visitors even after halftime, but fell into an 11-4 halftime deficit they couldn’t shake. Nine players scored goals for Washington Twp. Robbie Finnegan had five goals and two assists.

Mingin’s milestone

Saturday softball: Mingin surpasses 100 career hits in Woodstown victory; Pennsville splits in Vinick Tournament

SATURDAY SALEM COUNTY SOFTBALL
Woodstown 7, Camden Catholic 1
Millville 6, Pennsville 2
Pennsville 9, Ocean City 7

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – One of the first goals Tulana Mingin set for herself when she started playing varsity softball was to collect 100 hits before she graduated.

Saturday morning, the dream that seemed so long ago became a reality.

The Woodstown senior shortstop became the 11th player in the program’s history – and first since 2018 – to reach 100 career hits while she collected four of them in the Wolverines’ 7-1 victory over Camden Catholic.

It took her 199 at bats and 60 games to reach the milestone.

“It means a lot; I’m really excited about it, because I work really hard on my hitting and it’s nice to see it pay off,” Mingin said. “Going into my freshman year I would think about it because it’s something really cool to do and not a lot of people do it in this program, so it’s a big deal.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it when I was younger, but as it got closer I started to think I’m getting pretty close to it, it would be really cool.”

The East Stroudsburg signee needed only one hit for the milestone entering the game and wasted little time getting it.

Leading off the bottom of the first, she belted the second pitch she saw into left centerfield for a triple. Unfortunately, she was stranded there as the Wolverines loaded the bases but failed to score.

Hit No. 101 was more productive. It was a two-out RBI single to left that put the Wolverines up 1-0. She ended up all the way at third as she circled the infield as the Irish tried to get the lead runner at the plate.

“I was a little bit anxious, but I was pretty relaxed because I know I can’t worry about that stuff,” she said. “I was just going to try to do my best in every at bat, and it worked out.”

Indeed. Teams are still trying to figure a way to get her out. She went 4-for-4 against the Irish and has yet to make an out in eight plate appearances this season (6-for-6 and two walks). In fact, she has reached base in each of her last 10 plate appearances going back to the final game last season. She has been hitless in only nine games in her game, just four over the last three seasons.

“There’s no words to describe how great of a player she is and what she means to our program, what she means to me as a coach,” Woodstown coach Dave Wildermuth said. “She’s just a great all-around player. She works really hard at softball. She deserves every milestone that she reaches and every honor that she receives.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed like yesterday and today the way teams are shifting on her, they end up pulling the infield in and the outfield up because they think she’s just a slap hitter, but you can see she can drive the softball. If you want to cheat your outfield up on her, she’s going to put the ball over your head or in the gap.”

And that’s what produced the milestone triple. The Irish pulled the fielders in and she got a pitch that looked up in a zone and power slapped it into the left centerfield gap. With her speed that typically turns walks into doubles within a couple pitches, she went into third standing up.

Her 103 total hits (in 202 career at-bats) are now 10th on the Wolverines’ all-time list. The next milestone is the all-time mark – 131, set by Gracee Roberts in 2018 – but that’s not on her mind right now.

“I try not to think about stats like that because then it’s just going to make me play for myself instead of the team and I just need to do my best and not worry about that,” she said.

Grace White, the 1A in the Wolverines’ tandem of aces, gave up four hits and struck out 11 from the circle. The run the Irish (0-1) scored was unearned, coming around on an two-out infield throwing error.

Freshman catcher Lila Bowling, who won the position after an early call-up from the JV camp and according to Wildermuth “has earned the respect of all the upperclassmen,” made three veteran plays behind the plate to keep the Irish off the board.

In each of the first two innings she retrieved balls that went to the backstop and flipped it back to White in time to cut down runners trying to score from third. And then in the fourth she started an inning-ending catcher-to-first-to-home double play with runners at second and third to kill that threat.

“I’ve played with older girls my whole life so I’m kind of used playing with older girls,” Bowling said. “I’m not really worried about anything, I go out there and do whatever.”

The Wolverines (2-0) return to action Monday at home against Pennsville. The game will have a 4:30 p.m. start to give the solar eclipse time to safely clear the area.

WOODSTOWN 7, CAMDEN CATHOLIC 1

Camden Catholic (0-1)000 001 0-1 4 0
Woodstown (2-0)012 202 x-7 8 3
WP: Grave White. LP: Megan Donnelly. 2B: Dani Brown (CC), Ellie Wygand (W), Hannah Hitchner (W). 3B: Tulana Mingin (W).
Freshman catcher Lila Bowling made three sharp defensive plays from behind the plate to keep Camden Catholic off the board early in its game with Woodstown. On the cover, Woodstown shortstop Tulana Mingin displays the ball and banner commemorating her 100 career hits.

Ron Vinick Tournament

PENNSVILLE 9, OCEAN CITY 7: Kylie Harris and Bella Farina, two of the mainstays on the Pennsville LL Senior World Series team last summer, both had three hits with Farina hitting two homers as the Eagles won the consolation game of the tournament.

They lost their tournament opener to host Millville 6-2.

Harris went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Farina went 3-for-3 with solo homers in the third and sixth innings and four RBIs. Lilly Birney hit an inside-the-park homer in the fifth. Brooke Douglas went 4-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs for Ocean City.

CONSOLATION GAME
PENNSVILLE 9, OCEAN CITY 7

Ocean City (1-2)001 303 0-7 10 2
Pennsville (2-1)102 411 x-9 10 2
WP: Savannah Palverento. LP: Jessica Mooney. 2B: Brooke Douglas (OC), Kylie Harris (P). 3B: Kylie Harris (P). HR: Brooke Douglas 2 (OC), Bella Farina 2 (P), Lilly Birney (P)

Woodstown’s All-Time Hits List

PLAYERHITSYEAR
Gracee Roberts1312018
Megan McCurdy1282014
Amy Gray1261994
Sarah Morgan1222018
Raechelle Hatchell1171993
Kim Duus1151994
Bethany Mills1082001
Amanda Clark1072000
Kristen Merkle1052000
x-Tulana Mingin1032024
Kim Merkle1021997
x-Active

Friday roundup

Here is a compilation of sports results from around Salem County Friday; includes college baseball, boys tennis, girls lacrosse

College baseball

RCSJ-CUMBERLAND 9, SALEM CC 4

The Dukes squeezed all nine of three runs into the sixth and seventh innings.

Yen Rodriguez, who’s made a mid-season Mookie Betts move going from right field to shortstop, homered for Salem and Cole Dawson drove in a pair of runs. Ben Charbonneau had three hits

The Mighty Oaks led 1-0 in the fifth, but the Dukes scored five in the sixth, then after Salem got within a run added four in the seventh.

Boys tennis

PENNSVILLE 3, DELSEA 2
Andrew McWilliams (D) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-3, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. T.J. Natalie, 6-2, 6-2
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Zeph Kell, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) def. Eli Croce-Jacob Bramble, 6-2, 6-3
Dominik Maronski-Zach Natalie (D) def. Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

WOODSTOWN 3, KINGSWAY 2
Tim Schwienbacher (W) def. Filip Mirkovic, 6-4, 6-4
Drew Stengel (W) def. Dominic Palladino, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6
Nick Decinque (K) def. Erich Lipovsky, 6-3, 6-2
Joseph Kurpis-Ben Stengel (W) def. Charlie West-Tyler Wilkinson, 1-6, 6-2, 10-8
Aiden Shoemaker-Nolan Steurer (K) def. Jason LaFord-Mason Shimp, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8

HADDON HEIGHTS 3, SCHALICK 2
Ben Mazzucco (H) def. George Gould, 6-4, 6-1
Ryan Connor (H) def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-0
David Santana (S) def. Milan Stocker, 6-1, 6-0
Mike Pender-Gavin Ewing (H) def. Conor O’Toole-Rocky Monticello, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7
Kayden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski (S) def. Josh Harris-David Maher, 6-1, 6-2

Girls lacrosse

PAUL VI 19, WOODSTOWN 2: Paul IV’s Ava Diaz had eight goals and three assists, while Ave Martin and Emma McCarthy each had four goals and four assists. Delaney Walker scored both goals for Woodstown.

Salem County slams

Pedrick’s grand slam gives Woodstown the lead for good against Schalick; Fatcher’s first career homer a slam for Pennsville

FRIDAY BASEBALL
Pennsville 29, Penns Grove 3
Pitman 16, Salem 2
Woodstown 9, Schalick 4

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Andrew Pedrick hit a grand slam in the fifth inning Friday to give Woodstown the lead on Opening Day and from the reaction it got you’d have thought another earthquake was shaking the area.

Pedrick’s blast broke a 2-2 tie and sent the Wolverines to a 9-4 victory over rival Schalick. The response to his first varsity grand slam, which you could hear all the way to the softball field at the front of the complex, took him back to his Little League days.

“I’ve never heard anything like that, it was amazing,” he said. “Maybe Little League. I think when I was 11 I hit a grand slam and the place was going crazy, but there’s nothing like that.

“Off the bat I think everybody started to yell. It felt good. I just said, ‘Get out.’”

There might be something to that earthquake thing. Earlier in the day, Salem County residents felt a 4.8 magnitude quake that was centered in Hunterdon County. There was 4.0 magnitude aftershock centered about 15 miles from the original tremblor at just about the time Pedrick connected.

The slam was big on a number of fronts. Pedrick made a bad throw on a tailor-made double play that gave Schalick its second run of the fourth inning, so the blast brought a sense of redemption. The first time he came to the plate after the error, he singled home the Wolverines’ first run in the home fourth and then in his next at bat he hit the slam.

He went 3-for-4 in the game, his fourth career three-hit game against the Cougars. He was 3-for-4 against them in last year’s season-opener, too.

“It was a really good swing to left-center field,” Wolverines coach Marc DeCastro said of the slam. “He got jammed a lot earlier in the game so it was nice to see him be able to see that and still get it the other way.

“I know he’s disappointed in himself, too, because of the double-play ball that would have got us out of the inning; he’s so much better than that. I’m happy for him. He makes that mistake and he’s disappointed and now the next opportunity he gets he can either sink because he’s upset about that or he can challenge himself to forget about that and do something for the team and that’s what he did.”

Pedrick wasn’t the only Wolverine to homer in the game.

Jack Holladay provided Woodstown some insurance with a two-run shot in the sixth. It was his first career home run on “the big field” and helped him avoid an oh-for on Opening Day. Teammates standing around his post-game interview roared with approval when the first baseman was reminded he has a similar sounding name as the MLB’s top prospect, Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday. 

“It felt good for me,” he said. “I was just thinking stay up the middle. I was trying to get my first hit on the day. It didn’t feel good off the bat, but I think the wind helped out a lot.”

The Wolverines hit 15 homers last season. They had one in their season opener, but just two through their first seven games. There’s a sense this could be a power hitting team because it’s virtually the same team as a year ago only one year older and stronger.

“We look for our pitch a lot so when we get it we’re ready to hit it out,” Pedrick said.

Until each team broke through in the fourth inning, Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky and Woodstown’s Aaron Foote were matching zeroes. Pokrovsky got all 10 of his outs in 3 1/3 innings via strikeout but he threw 94 pitches. Foote gave up three hits and struck out four in 3 1/3 innings.

WOODSTOWN 9, SCHALICK 4

Schalick (0-1)000 202 0-4 10 0
Woodstown (1-0)000 243 x-9 5 0
WP: Michael Valente. LP: Lucas D’Agostino. 2B: Ricky Watt (S). HR: Andrew Pedrick (W), Jack Holladay (W).

PENNSVILLE 29, PENNS GROVE 3: Sophomore Stevie Fatcher hit his first career home run in his first at-bat of the season – a grand slam in the first inning – and Logan Streitz threw four innings of shutout ball for his first career win.

Fatcher, 8-for-23 with two extra-base hits as a freshman last season, went 2-for-2 with five RBIs against the Red Devils. Luke Wood had four RBIs, Jeff Wagner (two hits) had three, and Connor Starn, Mike McClincy, Jovanni Rios and Streitz each had two.

Streitz allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one on 53 pitches. Elijah Crespo had two of Penns Grove’s four hits.

The 29 runs were Pennsville’s most in a game since a 31-8 win over Wildwood in May 2018.

PENNSVILLE 29, PENNS GROVE 3

Penns Grove (0-1)000 03-3 4 2
Pennsville (1-0)894 8x-29 13 1
WP: Logan Streitz. LP: Dylan Hyatt. 2B: Luke Wood (Pv), Jeff Wagner (Pv). HR: Stephen Fatcher (Pv).

PITMAN 16, SALEM 2: The Rams scored a pair of runs in the first inning to get their season off to a fast start, but some loose fielding and lack of command that followed conspired to send them to an Opening Day defeat.

Three Pitman pitchers held the Rams to two hits – a single by Caleb Clair in the first inning and a double by Colin Finney in the third. The Rams scored their two runs in the first on a bases-loaded error. The Panthers broke it open with nine runs in the fourth.

PITMAN 16, SALEM 2

Salem (0-1)200 00-2 2 9
Pitman (1-0)412 9x-16 8 3
WP: Jude Engstrom. LP: Terrell Robinson. 2B: Colin Finney (S), Stephen Devanney (P), Aidan Stranahan (P).

Cover photo: Woodstown’s Andrew Pedrick (L) talks with Brent Williams after hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning against Schalick Friday.

Back in the circle

Woodstown’s Boultinghouse back in the circle after third ankle surgery, doesn’t miss a beat; Pennsville opens its season in big way

FRIDAY SOFTBALL
Pennsville 27, Penns Grove 0
Woodstown 15, Schalick 3

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – When Liv Boultinghouse stepped into the circle for Woodstown’s season opener Friday afternoon, the thoughts going through her head were solely on the things she needed to do to get hitters out. The surgery she had in November was the farthest thing from her mind.

Considering all she has gone through in her playing career, some might think it a minor miracle she was even in the circle at all. The surgery she had on her right, push-off ankle was the third on the joint in seven years, but she didn’t give it another thought as she faced down rival Schalick in Top-15 South Jersey matchup on Opening Day of coach Dave Wildermuth’s final season.

The senior right-hander gave up six singles, one earned run, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter over five innings in the Wolverines’ 15-3 win over the Cougars. 

“I’ve been dealing with this since I was 6 years old,” Boultinghouse said of the ankle troubles. “Nobody ever figured out what it was until 2017.”

She’s had surgeries on the ankle every three years since – 2017, 2020, 2023 – with the latest being the most intricate, cutting out scar tissue and the nerves entrapped within it. Through it all she was determined to keep pitching, this year more than ever.

And that became a reality when Wildermuth handed her the ball as the Opening Day starter he knew she was going to be all along.

“It felt really good,” she said. “I knew I was going to be able to do it. I was eager to get in the circle and play in the game.”

She promptly threw strikes on her first four pitches of the game and threw only one ball in the first inning. She threw 66 pitches total, 54 for strikes. She gave up a run in each of the first two innings, but once she found her rhythm – and her offense supported her with a bunch of runs – she was dominant.

“She’s a gamer,” Wildermuth said. “I don’t think she had any walks today. She’s a strike machine; she throws the ball over the plate. She’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but if you’re going to beat her you’re going to have to hit the ball because she’s not going to give you any free passes.”

After falling behind early, the Wolverines took the lead with four in the bottom of the second. Ellie Wygand’s two-run single broke a 2-2 tie and gave them the lead for good. They broke it open with nine in the third, highlighted by Wygand’s two-run triple.

“I was a little worried about coming out slow because we hadn’t been able to get outside, hadn’t been able to get on the field, hadn’t been able to see any live pitching,” Wildermuth said. “But I knew we were going to put the ball in play, and we did.”

The Wolverines pounded out 13 hits in the game, including five doubles and a triple. Cara Delia and Lila Bowling each had three hits, Tulana Mingin and Wygand each had two.

Mingin, the leadoff hitter, went 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. She walked her first two times up, hit a game-tying two-run double in the third and a single in the fourth. She now has 99 career hits and can hit the century mark Saturday against Camden Catholic.

When it comes, she will be the 11th player in program history with 100 hits or more and the first to reach the milestone since 2018.

“I did the best I could with what I was given,” Mingin said. “I guess it’ll just make tomorrow a little bit less pressure because it’s only one hit I’m looking for. I’ll get it when I get it. I can’t worry about that.”

The game marked the start of Wildermuth’s final season with the Wolverines. He’s retiring at the end of the school year. Mingin has said the players want to give their coach “the best last season.”

Wildermuth, meanwhile, isn’t thinking about anything but the season in front of him and what it’s going to take to make a deep run in the playoffs.

“I’m really not thinking about the end of the season yet, I’ll think about that when we get down towards the end of the season,” he said. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy my time with this team and spending time with the girls and being out there and trying to win and have fun.

“When the time comes it’ll be pretty emotional for all of us, but right now I’m just trying to take it one game at a time.”

WOODSTOWN 15, SCHALICK 3

Schalick (0-1)110 01-3 6 5
Woodstown (1-0)049 2x-15 13 4
WP: Liv Boultinghouse. LP: Abby Willoughby. 2B: Lila Bowling 2 (W), Cara Delia (W), Hannah Hitchner (W), Tulana Mingin (W). 3B: Ellie Wynand (W).

Woodstown All-Time Hits Leaders

PLAYERHITSYEAR
Gracee Roberts1312018
Megan McCurdy1282014
Amy Gray1261994
Sarah Morgan1222018
Raechelle Hatchell1171993
Kim Duus1151994
Bethany Mills1082001
Amanda Clark1072000
Kristen Merkle1052000
Kim Merkle1021997
x-Tulana Mingin992024
x-Active

PENNSVILLE 27, PENNS GROVE 0: Kylie Harris went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and the next four hitters in the Pennsville lineup drew a total of 13 walks. The first five hitters were a combined 6-for-9 with 14 walks and 12 runs scored.

Savannah Palverento walked three times and scored five runs. Avery Watson was officially 0-for-0 in the game, but walked four times and scored four runs. Sierra Stultz allowed two hits from the circle, walked none and struck out seven in four innings.

PENNSVILLE 27, PENNS GROVE 0

Penns Grove (0-1)000 0-0 2 3
Pennsville (1-0)9(13)5 x-27 8 0
WP: Sierra Stultz. LP: Yeneris Garcia. 2b: Kylie Harris (Pv).

Getting to know …

Salem Tech/Woodstown’s Sarah Seiden

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of in depth interviews with athletes in Salem County. Coaches, if there is a player in your program with an interesting background or backstory the community would be interested in “Getting To Know …”, forward details in an email to Riverview Sports News at al.muskewitz@gmail.com

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Sarah Seiden is living one of the more interesting and completely by-the-book experiences afforded New Jersey high school athletes. She’s a two-sport standout competing for two different schools.

SEIDEN

She goes to Salem Tech year-round because of the academic program and runs cross country for it in the fall. But in the winter and spring months, because the Chargers don’t offer the sport, she makes the 3.2-mile drive up Route 45 after school to run indoor and outdoor track for her sending school, Woodstown. She’s set school records for both.

On top of all that, she’s taking college classes at Salem CC that will allow her to get a college degree before she even graduates high school.

The junior sat down with Riverview Sports News at the Woodstown Diner on a rainy Tuesday afternoon before practice to talk about the unique experience, what it means for her schedule, friendships and wardrobe, and her hopes for the season ahead. 

The Wolverines hit the track for the first time this season Thursday – weather permitting.

RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: I’m really intrigued about this two-school thing. Explain why you go to Salem Tech and get to compete for Woodstown? It sounds like it presents some interesting logistical challenges.

SARAH SEIDEN: I was really intrigued about Vo Tech’s programs. I’m in the medical academy with it. Their college classes really hooked me in because I’m able to get my associate’s degree before I graduate and I’m enrolled as a student at SCC, which is really cool.

They have a different way of doing it (at Woodstown). They do AP classes where classes at my school are just college classes. My chemistry class counts for my high school credits and my college credits, which is really cool. So, I do that both at once. I really like that.

We don’t have a track at VoTech. We also don’t have baseball fields and stuff, so if you want to play a sport that they don’t offer then you go back to your sending district and can play there, which is great for me because I have all my friends at Woodstown and I love playing with them and I’ve also known the coaches there for years, so I was really happy I was able to do that.

This year was my first year running cross country for (Salem Tech). I never ran cross country before this year and that was really cool to do. Woodstown does have a cross country team, but since my school offers it (you have to compete there). You can’t pick and choose.

It does get confusing sometimes because I have two separate MileSplits, so my times for different schools were not in the same place so I was worried that recruitment and stuff would be harder for me because my times are in different places. But we were able to find a way to mesh them.

RSN: Your closets must be full of stuff. Do you have a bunch of Woodstown orange and a bunch of VoTech navy blue?

SS: I do. My closet is filled to the brim. I definitely have a lot more Woodstown orange and blue than I do my own school.

RSN: Do you have to make sure you’re wearing the right stuff where you are and have you ever worn something from one to the other?

SS: Never by accident, but sometimes I’ll just show up to my school and cross country meets with all this Woodstown gear on because that’s just what I had. I have all this athletic wear and track suits from Woodstown so I’ll just wear that to those meets.

RSN: Do you get weird looks when you’re in class wearing Woodstown stuff knowing you have to practice VoTech cross country in the afternoon?

SS: Yeah, they kind of give me some crap about that, but it’s all fun.

RSN: Are there any others like you there? 

SS: No other person on my cross country team is sending district from Woodstown who runs track for Woodstown, but there’s one senior, Abby Melle, who is like me and goes to VoTech but runs track for Woodstown; she also swims.

A bunch of my classmates do all their own sports, but go to the different schools. My friend does wrestling and softball for Pennsville; she comes in with all her Pennsville gear.

RSN: So are you a VoTech kid, a Woodstown kid and what’s your diploma going to say when you graduate?

SS: (Laughing) It depends on the day. I used to have some regrets about going to VoTech because it’s not a traditional high school. Sometimes there’s a bit of a difference between them, but at the end of the day it’s all my friends there and it’s all fun. 

RSN: What’s it like emotionally when you compete against your Woodstown friends in cross country?

SS: My old (track) coach, Steve New, was/is the cross country coach for Woodstown and I didn’t run for them, I run for (Kimberly) Kraky who is now our (Woodstown) track coach, which I was very excited about. He (New) had all this fun with it. He would call me traitor, get out of here, because I wasn’t his kid for that. We were always trying to beat each other and that fueled us a lot.

RSN: On the track you run the 400 and 800, set school records in both relays and now you’re embracing the 400 hurdles. What is it you like about all these events and how has your development in the hurdles been going?

SS: Track was my only running sport; I’ve done that since freshman to now. Cross country is very new for me. I always thought of myself as mid-distance/sprinter and I did cross country so I could stay in shape. I didn’t know if I would like it or not, then I kind of realized this could be my thing, too. That kind of shifted all my coaches’ gears to try to find where they want to put me to best benefit myself and the team. I think this year I’m mainly staying in that mid-distance area.

(The hurdles) is just such a fun race for me. I love the 400 hurdles. I’ve been told I have the build for it because I have long legs. It looked fun to me from afar and I really wanted to try it. I asked my coach one day to try it and he didn’t want to let me at first because I had already established my races, but he finally let me one day and it was so much fun and I had such a good time with it and I ended up doing pretty OK with it.

RSN: What do you do away from competition? How to you decompress?

SS: I just love hanging out with my friends and my boyfriend, (Salem Tech basketball player and cross country runner) Tyler Zampino. He pushed me a lot during the season and that was another thing that kept me going. We’re very competitive with each other. I’ve just got to beat him. I will get one under my belt.

I love traveling. For state outdoor last year we got to stay at a hotel and that was so much fun. We stayed overnight and we went out to dinner the night before and it was just so much. It was just a great time. 

RSN: What are your hopes and expectations for yourself and the team this season?

SS: I’m really excited to see the dynamic with our new coach. I loved her in cross country and I love her now for a track coach. I think she’s going to be a good asset to the team.

I really am excited to continue with the 400 hurdles and just improving my times. Indoor season I mainly focused on the 400 because our 4×4 team went to the Meet of Champions. I’ve been doing that race for the longest time, so I want to get my time down and PR for that.

The 800 (that broke the Woodbury Relays record last spring and won this year’s Group I indoor title) should be pretty cool, too. Katie Deal graduated so we don’t have her anymore and she was a big part of both those races, but we think we’re still going to be pretty good and solid with (returnees Kayla Ayars, Seiden and Arie Still) and we can keep working and improving our times and we can still be in that same good place.

RSN: Do you have an idea where you want to go for college and will running be a part of it?

SS: Now is definitely the time I should be researching more than I am. I think I’m just trying to learn about all types of college to see where I want to go and see what interests me. I do want to run in college.

Cover photo: Sarah Seiden runs the hurdles for Woodstown (L) and cross country for Salem Tech. (Submitted photos)

This week’s schedule

Here is the sports schedule for Salem County teams for the week of April 1-6; all games 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY

BASEBALL
Schalick at Woodstown
SOFTBALL
Schalick at Woodstown
GOLF
Delsea girls vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown

TUESDAY

BASEBALL
Pennsville at Clayton
Penns Grove at Glassboro, 10 a.m.
Salem vs. Pitman, Alcyon Park
SOFTBALL
Glassboro at Penns Grove, 10 a.m.
Clearview at Woodstown
OLMA at Schalick
Pennsville at Clayton
Pitman at Salem
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Mercer County CC, 3 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Mercer County CC (2), 3 p.m.
GOLF
Washington Twp. girls at Schalick, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick boys vs. West Deptford, River Winds GC
Gloucester Catholic vs. Salem Tech, Sakima CC
BOYS TENNIS
Cunberland at Woodstown

WEDNESDAY

BASEBALL
Schalick at Millville
SOFTBALL
Ocean City at Woodstown
Penns Grove at Cumberland
Schalick at Clearview
TRACK
Pennsville at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Overbrook
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Westwood GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Paul VI, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Clearview at Woodstown
BOYS TENNIS
Middle Twp. at Pennsville

THURSDAY

BASEBALL
Salem at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Pitman at Schalick
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Salem
Woodstown at Penns Grove
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC (2), 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Schalick boya vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC
Clearview vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 3:30 p.m.
Pennsville vs. West Deptford, Riverwinds GC, 3:30 p.m.
TRACK
Schalick at Woodstown
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Woodstown

FRIDAY

BASEBALL
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Schalick at Woodstown
SOFTBALL
Paulsboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Schalick at Woodstown
COLLEGE BASEBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Penns Grove, Sakima GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Delsea at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Kingsway, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Haddon Heights
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Paul VI
TRACK
Schalick at Woodstown

SATURDAY

BASEBALL
Salem, Schalick, Clayton at Gloucester City, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Cedar Creek, 11 a.m.
SOFTBALL
Camden Catholic at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Raritan Valley at Salem CC (2), noon
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Schalick at Deptford Relays, 9 a.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Washington Twp. at Woodstown, 10 a.m.

Getting to know …

Woodstown’s Tulana Mingin

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of in depth interviews with athletes in Salem County. Coaches, if there is a player in your program with an interesting background or backstory the community would be interested in “Getting To Know …”, forward details in an email to Riverview Sports News at al.muskewitz@gmail.com

WOODSTOWN – If teams got to pick a player’s walk-up music as they came to the plate the undisputed choice for Woodstown shortstop Tulana Mingin would be the Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started.”

MINGIN

From her spot in the lineup, the senior gets the Wolverines going and is usually right in the middle of any rally they put together. When this season is over, she will have collected 100 career hits and leave as the program’s all-time hits leader.

Mingin is all about softball, but when she’s not leading the Wolverines on the field you will usually find her taking a nice stroll in the park or dropping a hook in the water to wait on the next big fish to bite.

With the pressure of making a college choice behind her – she signed with East Stroudsburg in November – her mission for her senior season is simply to go out and have fun while doing all she can to ensure retiring coach Dave Wildermuth goes out with a bang.

RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: When did you first fall in love with softball. I’m sure you played a bunch of sports growing up, but what was it about softball that did it for you?

TULANA MINGIN: I started to really like it when I started playing travel ball; the more I played it, the more I would enjoy it. I really started to love it a few years ago, like sophomore year, when I was playing travel because I saw just a complete different level of competition and seeing all the other good players it just made me want to be great.

RSN: What are some of the experiences softball has afforded you that you might not have had otherwise?

TM: Aside from making my best friends, I got to travel all across the East Coast. We even went to Colorado this past summer. I got to stay there for a week. It’s really cool to see the different parts of the U.S. I’ve never been that West before and I wouldn’t go there unless I was playing softball.

I got to see a lot of mountains in Colorado. In Massachusetts I got to see seals an stuff, so I know there’s probably a Great White (shark) somewhere in there.

RSN: You’re in line for a couple milestones this year. You need three hits for 100 – maybe Monday? – and will probably set the program’s career hits record. What do those things mean to you?

TM: It is important to me because I put a lot of time into this so it’s nice to see when it pays off. To see you’re the all-time leader for something is just crazy to think about for a whole program.

(Getting 100 hits) was something I thought about when I started playing high school softball, that was my first goal, to try to get 100 hits in my whole career. If I get it I’ll be really happy.

RSN: You’re known as a slap hitter. How does that style fit into the way the game is played?

TM: I think it’s important to have some slappers in the lineup because it creates chaos on the defense and there are multiple things you can do – you can play small ball, you can bunt, soft slap, hard slap. You’re just trying to direct the ball; you look at the field and see where everybody’s positioned and try to hit it where they’re not.

RSN: You’ve been a 2-hole hitter in the lineup, but Coach Wildermuth told me a while back he might put you at leadoff (she batted first in Saturday’s scrimmage with Sterling). If that does happen what does it do for your style of play; does it alter your approach at all? I guess, really, you’re only leadoff in the first inning.

TM: When I’m in the 2-hole, if someone’s on in front of me, it takes away a slap to the shortstop or second baseman because they can get the force at second. When I have nobody on base, it expands what I can do. I come in with a different approach depending on the situation, but I’m usually just reading the defense and seeing where I should place the ball.

I’ve been leadoff my whole life, not every single time but I’m used to it. When I was younger I would always bat leadoff, even before I was lefthanded, so I’m kind of used to being the first batter and just having that mindset and not being nervous about it.

RSN: Wait. What? Before you were left-handed?

TM: Yes, I was a right-handed batter until my freshman year. I switched over the winter of my freshman year right before the high school season. I was a good hitter before, but decided to switch because I wasn’t a power hitter and I knew my speed would be more beneficial for recruiting if I was a slapper. I just went completely lefty instead of being a switch hitter so I could just focus on getting good at that.

RSN: They tell me you eat it up defensively at short, too. What do you think about your defensive skills. Shortstop traditionally is like the best athlete on a team.

TM: I really like taking ground balls at practice. Just getting different ground balls at practice really helps me. Just getting reps in outside of team practice.

RSN: Tell me a little about your recruiting. I know you signed with East Stroudsburg in November. What separated them from whoever else you were considering and how did signing fulfill a lifelong dream from you?

TM: I loved it when I toured there. It felt like someplace I could live and be happy with. I really like the softball program. I really like the coach. And all the girls on the team were nice. Going to their camps and seeing how they run practices made me want to be a part of that.

I was kind of looking at a lot of D-I, D-II schools local because I don’t want to go too far. So I was looking at FDU (Teaneck), Wilmington, Georgian Court, West Chester, Bloomfield. 

RSN: Here’s the fun stuff. What do you like to do away from the field; how do you decompress?

TM: I like to be outside, so I like to go on walks. Watch movies. I like to fish when it’s nice out, so after softball I’ll go fishing with my friends. I catch a lot of fish; I get pretty lucky with that. It’s fun. It’s really relaxing. It’s a time for me to think about stuff.

The biggest fish I caught? I don’t know how many pounds, but I’ve got a picture of it. It’s like this big (holding her hands about 12 inches apart). I threw it back. I’ll get a bigger one.

RSN: Have you ever considered being a Phillies ball girl down the foul line at Citizens Bank Park?

TM: I’ve thought about that before. That sounds really fun and to continue working with sports would be really fun. One of the girls who graduated from ESU softball does that (MacKenzie Lewis was a Phillies ball girl in 2023). I haven’t thought about it that much, but it would be something fun to do. I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up yet.

RSN: Back to the serious stuff to finish up. The last two years you had some hard-luck losses to Audubon that knocked you out of the playoffs. How much has that stuck with you and drive you this year?

TM: This year I want it more than anything, especially with two losses by one run in such close games. Audubon’s a really good team so I know it’s not going to be easy, so that just pushes me to want it more. Everybody wants to beat Audubon after the past two years because we know we can do it.

RSN: And lastly, Coach Wildermuth is retiring at the end of the school year. What was that like when he told the girls of his plan, what’s he meant to you and your career and what will that dynamic mean for the season that starts Monday at home against Schalick?

TM: Obviously we’re going to want to have a really good season for him for his last year. Our all seniors, he’s leaving with us, so it’s our last season, too, and it means a lot.

Everybody was sad when he said that. They knew it was coming because he’s, like, retired before. I’m sure there will be crying whenever the last game is. No tears were shed yet, but it’s definitely something sad when you think about it, but we still have a whole season ahead of us; we’re not thinking about that yet. We want him to have the best last season.