Author: almusky

Salem’s Southern swing

Oaks baseball team splits two games in Myrtle Beach, softball team swept in season-opening doubleheader

By Riverview Sports News

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Starter Inaki Hutchinson threw four shutout innings, Will Jones got a three-inning save and the lineup batted around twice in the late innings to lift Salem CC over Muskegon CC 12-4 at Crosley Field in its first game Thursday at the Ripken Experience.

The Oaks fell behind in the first inning of their second game, had only one hit and lost to Bay College at the Polo Grounds, 11-1.

Hutchinson, a sophomore right-hander from Savannah, Ga., allowed three hits and struck out nine. He got out of jams in each of his last three innings, including a bases-loaded situation in the fourth.

The Oaks staked him to a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI ground out by Matt Murphy and an RBI single by Angel Velez. The sent 10 men to the plate in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-0 and sent nine to the plate in the seventh to score four more.

Every spot in the lineup reached base at least once, eight of the nine spots had at least one hit. Demetrius DeRamus had three hits and three RBIs for the Oaks. Velez and Elijah Real had two hits apiece.

In the nightcap, Bay jumped on the Oaks for five runs in the first inning on back-to-back run-scoring hacks by a couple of Zachs — Zach Gibson’s two-run single and Zac Gomersall’s three-run homer.

The Oaks got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk to John McAllister. They had plenty of base-runners, but the only hit they got in the game was Elijah Real’s one-out single in the second inning. Bay was charged with six errors by its Gamechanger scorekeepers.

The trip continues Friday with games against Rays Collegiate (11 a.m.) and Manhattanville College (4 p.m.)

Salem CC fans can watch the Oaks on the trip on a live stream through the subscription HiCast Sports Network.

GAME 1
Salem CC 12, Muskegon CC 4

Salem CC2000514 –12123
Muskegon CC0000220 –435
INAKI HUTCHINSON, Will Jones (8) and Angel Velez; TREVOR GARRETT, Noah Morgan (4), Joe Handley (5), Jason Anderson (6), Dayton Thomas (7), Brenden Maka (7) and Gabe Schooltz.
2B: Nick Ciesielka (S), Cole Dawson (S).

GAME 2
Bay College 11, Salem CC 1
Bay College5020004 –1186
Salem CC1000000 –112
HUNTER BALLANTYNE, Scottie Hiller (6) and Melchor Feliciano; STARTER 21, Preston Stracci (3), Mike Ochmanski (6) and Joe Fekete. 2B: Melchor Feliciano (B), Zach Gibson (B). HR: Zac Gomersall (B)

Softball swept in opener

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Salem’s 2024 softball season got off the a tough start as the Mighty Oaks were swept by Fayetteville Tech 8-0 and 5-3.

After being shutout in their opener, the Mighty Oaks scored twice in the first inning of the nightcap on Vaye Savage two-run double and held leads of 2-0 and 3-1. C. Hoggard doubled home their third run in the third. The Trojans rallied for three in the fifth to take the lead.

Fayetteville Tech took control of the opener with a four-run second inning and starter Tamarah Lowery scattered five hits and struck out seven.

The Mighty Oaks threatened in the fifth. They loaded the bases with one out to chase Lowery, but reliever Ava Basalt put out the fire with a force at the plate and inning-ending infield pop.

Morgan Brady (four RBIs), Isabella Finelli and Krista McLean had three hits apiece for the Trojans. Courtney Hoggard, who grew up about two hours from Fayetteville, went 2-for-2 with a double for the Oaks.

GAME 1
Fayetteville Tech 8, Salem CC 0

Salem CC00000 –051
Fayetteville Tech14021 –8121
WP: Tamarah Lowrey (2-3). LP: Morgan Mecham (0-1). 2B: Courtney Hoggard (S), Isabella Finelli (FT), Morgan Brady (FT).

GAME 2
Fayetteville Tech 5, Salem CC 3
Salem CC2010000 –3104
Fayetteville Tech100031x –5103
CAITLIN LEGRECA (LP) and Callie Rozak; 9 (WP), Ava Basolt (6) and Alyssa Lauber. 2B: Courtney Hoggard (S), Callie Rozak (S), Vaye Savage (S), Ava Basolt (FT), Madeline Burns (FT), Kaylee Frank (FT), Tamarah Lowery (FT)

Salem rally stopped short

Mighty Oaks nearly come all the way back from early five-run deficit, but rally in the seventh stopped short

By Riverview Sports News

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Salem CC nearly came all the way back from a five-run deficit, but its three-run rally in the top of the seventh came up just short and the Oaks suffered their first loss on this Southern swing 9-8 to Penn State-New Kensington Tuesday night.

The Oaks (1-2) fell behind 9-4 after four innings as their pitchers had trouble locating the plate early and issued 10 walks and hit three batters in the first four innings. John McAllister, a sophomore right-hander from Salem, after a rough start kept the Nittany Lions off the board in the final two innings. McAllister walked three, but gave up no hits and was charged with no runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The early runs were the first the Oaks have given up on the trip, having opened the swing with a 6-0 shutout of Cairn University JV Monday night.

They got a run in the sixth on Nick Ciesielka’s RBI ground out to make it 9-5, then they loaded the bases with none out in the seventh and brought all three runners home to get within a run. The runs scored on a passed ball, an infield out and Yen Rodriguez’ RBI single to right.

Rodriguez got all the way to third with the tying run and Ciesielka got to second with the go-ahead run, but Demetrius DeRamus popped to short after fouling off several pitches to end the game.

In both of their losses this season the Oaks rallied in the late innings and had the go-ahead runners in scoring position. They are literally two clutch hits away from being 3-0.

“Tough loss tonight,” Oaks coach John Holt said. “The boys played hard for all seven (innings). We’re learning lessons and getting better. If we continue to learn and make adjustments we will be OK.”

Rodriguez, DeRemus and Joe Fekete had two hits apiece for the Oaks.

The swing continues with two games Wednesday – Rochester Community and Technical College at 2 p.m. and the College of DuPage at 6:30.

The Salem softball team opens its season in Myrtle Beach Wednesday, playing Southeastern in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Salem CC0013013 –881
Penn State-New Kensington123300x –951
HUGO PLAYER (W, 1-0), Caden Rupert (6), Nat Greenslet (7) and Nat Greenslet; SEAN KELBY (L, 0-1), Aiden Ewe (3), John McAllister (4) and Joe Fekete. 2B: Demetrius DeRamus (S), Yen Rodriguez (S), Max Oliveri (P). Records: Salem CC 1-2, Penn State-New Kensington 2-2-1.




This week’s schedule

Here is the sports schedule for Salem County teams and the NJSIAA Final Four for the week of March 4-9

MARCH 4
COLLEGE BASEBALL 
Salem CC vs. Cairn JV at Myrtle Beach, 9 p.m.

MARCH 5
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC vs. Penn State Kensington (MB), 7:30 p.m.
NJSIAA BASKETBALL
Boys Final Four
Group IIRamsey vs. Arts, Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Camden vs. Manasquan, Central Regional, 7 p.m.
Group IV
Ridgewood at Elizabeth, 5 p.m.
Lenape vs. Montgomery, Central Regional, 4:30 p.m.
Girls Final Four
Group II
Jefferson vs. Madison, Bloomfield, 4:30 p.m.
Middle Twp. vs. Manasquan, Monroe, 7 p.m.
Group IV
Morristown vs. Hillsborough, Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
Lenape vs. Howell, Monroe, 5 p.m.

MARCH 6
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC vs. Rochester C&T (MB), 2 p.m.
Salem CC vs. DuPage (MB), 6:30 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC vs. Southeastern (2) (MB), 1 p.m.
NJSIAA BASKETBALL
Boys Final Four
Group I
Paterson Charter vs. Newark Tech, Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
Pitman vs. College Achieve, Monroe, 7 p.m.
Group III
Colonia vs. Ramapo, Bloomfield, 4:30 p.m.
Mainland vs. Freehold Borough, Monroe, 4:30 p.m.
Girls Final Four
Group I
Park Ridge vs. University, Ramapo, 4:30 p.m.
Wildwood vs. Shore, Deptford Twp., 5 p.m.
Group III
Teaneck vs. Chatham, Ramapo, 7 p.m.
Mainland vs. Ewing, Deptford Twp., 7 p.m.

MARCH 7
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC vs. Muskegon CC (MB), 3 p.m.
Salem CC vs. Bay (MB), 6 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC vs. Fayetteville (2) (MB), noon

MARCH 8
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC vs. Rays Collegiate (MB), 11 a.m.
Salem CC vs. Manhattanville (MB), 4 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC vs. Harford (MB), 3 p.m.
Salem CC vs. Henry Ford (MB), 5 p.m.

MARCH 9
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC vs. Westmoreland County (2) (MB), 9 a.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC vs. Madison (MB), 9 a.m.
Salem CC vs. USC-Sumter (MB), 11 a.m.
NJSIAA BASKETBALL
at Rutgers
Group II Boys Championship, noon
Group II Girls Championship, 2 p.m.
Group IV Boys Championship, 4:30 p.m.
Group IV Girls Championship, 6:30 p.m.

Locals at MOC

Schalick’s Hadfield, Woodstown’s 4X400 relay team compete in the NJSIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions

By Riverview Sports News

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield finished 19th in both the girls 1600 and 3200 meter races Sunday at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility.

Hadfield ran the 1600 in 5:13.56 and the 3200 in 11:41.17. She was eighth in both heats of her two races.

Woodstown’s girls 4X400 relay team of Jaime Deal, Kayla Ayars, Sarah Seiden and Arie Still also competed at the meet, which drew the top three finishers in each event across all classifications at the state championship. They finished 24th overall at 4:16.96, which was still six seconds faster than their time in the state meet. They were third in their heat.

Wild Wildwood win

Wildwood freshman hits a 3-pointer in the final seconds to break Woodstown’s heart in South Jersey Group I girls title game

NJSIAA GROUP I GIRLS ELITE 8
South: Wildwood 54, Woodstown 53
Central: Shore 44, Middlesex 36
North I: Park Ridge 43, Mountain Lakes 28
North II: University 86, Glen Ridge 52

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WILDWOOD — The last time these two teams played here, the home team was throwing in 3-pointers from everywhere in the gym. Wildwood didn’t hit nearly as many 3s this time, but it made the one that counted most.

Freshman Rebecca Benichou buried a 3 from the left corner right before the buzzer to give the Warriors a 54-53 win Saturday and rip away the South Jersey Group I girls basketball title that five minutes earlier looked all of Woodstown’s to win.

Wildwood hit 21 of 41 3s when it beat the Wolverines here in January and was 15-of-32 against Paulsboro in the first round of the tournament, but was only five of 35 Saturday as the Wolverines defended them man all game to negate the deep threat. Macie McCracken and Angela Wilber, who each hit seven 3s in the first meeting, were a combined 2-for-20 Saturday and McCracken, who was playing ill, was oh-fer for just the fifth time in the last two seasons.

“All week long I’ve been telling the girls (to) get that game out of your head because it’s not going to happen again,” Wildwood coach Teresa Cunniff said. “The last few days we haven’t been shooting well and today I told them (if) your shot’s not falling you’ve got to do other things. 

“It will come. If you have your legs under you and you take the shot it’s gonna fall – eventually. And they believed it. Rebecca taking that shot in that crunch time, that’s amazing. I’m her biggest fan right now.”

None of the 3s were bigger than Benichou’s, who called it “the shot of my life.” She had six in the first meeting with Woodstown, but the dagger at the end Saturday was her only one of the game and one of just two baskets she made. She scored eight points.

“I was so happy,” she said. “It was a dream moment.”

Replays show Benichou actually launched the shot from her go-to spot over a leaping Gianni Maiorini with 4.6 seconds left and it went through the hoop at 3.1. When the shot went through, the Wildwood players and their fans storming the floor in celebration while Woodstown coach Kara Straughn was frantically waving from her bench to clear the court because there was time remaining.

There were no injuries to either players or spectators as a result of the storming, which many in the Woodstown camp considered “unacceptable” at best and something found in a South Jersey farmer’s field at worse. There were no technical fouls or warnings issued.

“We tell our kids every single game you’ve gotta stay, you’ve gotta stay, you’ve gotta stay until we tell you to go,” Straughn said. “I guess that’s not a thing. The bench came on the floor, too, and that in my opinion is a T, but …”

The officials conferred and once the floor was cleared and order restored, they put 2.1 seconds on the clock. The Wolverines did get a timeout and put in a plan to get a potential winning shot in the hands of one of their 1,000-point scorers, Megan Donelson or Talia Battavio.

They got it in Donelson, who raced up the floor, got some separation from Benichou on the right side and put up a rushed 3 with some contact. Donelson hit the floor gesturing for a foul. The shot missed, there was no whistle and the Warriors (23-7) could finally enjoy their victory.

“I was just focused on getting down the court and trying to score,” Donelson said. “There was a lot (of contact). There should’ve been a foul.”

“I told the girls you can only control what you can control,” Straughn said. “We controlled everything we possibly could. It sucks (to lose), but we did everything we could. They played their butts off and they wanted it so bad and I’m proud of them. It just didn’t fall the way we wanted it to fall.”

Battavio’s scoring and Donelson’s headstrong approach coming out of the break helped Woodstown (21-7) take command in the second half. The Wolverines built an eight-point lead after three quarters. They led by 10 early in the fourth, by nine when top Wildwood defender Kaliah Sumlin fouled out with 7:20 to play and 50-41 with 5:26 left before the Warriors mounted their comeback.

Battavio had 10 points in the third quarter and finished with 18. Donelson had 11.

Shannon Pierman was dominant in her final high school game. The senior post had another double-double in the first quarter and despite early foul trouble finished with 24 points and 28 rebounds.

In spite of the big game, the senior post lamented missing a few short ones in the paint in traffic late in the game that could have made a difference.

“It’s a little upsetting, we had a good lead, but in the end, God’s will be done,” Pierman said. “We were right there. We almost had it, but it is what it is.”

WILDWOOD 54, WOODSTOWN 53
WOODSTOWN (21-7) — Talia Battavio 7 2-2 18, Megan Donelson 4 2-4 11, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Baber 0 0-2 0, Shannon Pierman 10 4-6 24, Lauren Hengel 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 8-14 53.
WILDWOOD (23-7) — Sophia Wilber 3-8 0-0 7, Angela Wilber 4-15 3-4 13, Macie McCracken 6-22 1-2 13, Kaliah Sumlin 4-8 2-2 11, Rebecca Benichou 2-18 3-4 8, Cydnee Kilian 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 20-73 9-12 54.

Woodstown1312208 — 53
Wildwood11161017 — 54
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Battavio 2, Donelson); Wildwood 5-36 (S. Wilber 1-4, A. Wilber 2-8, McCracken 0-12, Sumlin 1-3, Benichou 1-9). Rebounds: Woodstown 43 (Pierman 28); Wildwood 26 (S. Wilber 6, McCracken 6). Fouled out: Sumlin. Total fouls: Woodstown 14, Wildwood 16.
Woodstown’s Megan Donelson puts up the potential game-winning shot at the buzzer under the pressure on Wildwood’s Rebecca Benichou. On the cover, Benichou launches the go-ahead 3-pointer that brought Wildwood its 54-53 win. (Cover photo by Brian Tortella)

Opening Day fireworks

Salem CC opens its baseball season with a loss, but top of the lineup, three late hard-throwing relievers impress

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT — A lot of baseball players when they enter into a circumstance for the first time, whether it’s a new career, a new team, a new season, they’re secretly hoping to make a big splash with the first opportunity they get to impress.

It’s more a dream, but it’s magical when they pull it off.

Salem CC freshman Yen Rodriguez lived the dream Friday in the Mighty Oaks’ 7-5 season-opening loss to Ocean.

The highly prized signee from Vineland couldn’t have dreamed for a better start to his college career. The first chance he had to make a play in the outfield, he helped gun down a runner at the plate to end the top of the first inning. Then he led off the bottom of the first with an inside-the-park home run, a feat to open the season Oaks coach John Holt said he hadn’t experienced in 30 years in the game.

“It’s amazing, I don’t see a different way to start it off,” Rodriguez said. “I got a lot of love from my teammates. They trusted me when I went up to the plate. I did my job; they trusted me. Once I got that ball in right field, threw the guy out, they loved me and I love them, and that’s our job.”

Most of the time, the dream of hitting a homer in your first at bat entails driving a ball far over the fence. Think of what it meant to the Phillies’ Weston Wilson last year or any of the other 135 guys who homered in their first at bats in the big leagues. Only three were inside-the-park homers and probably none of those outside of Heinie Mueller – a Phillie in the late 1930s – led off their team’s season.

Rodriguez, whose high school career started with a walk, did hit three over-the-fence homers in the fall, but with the way the wind was blowing straight into the Carneys Point Rec field Friday, it was doubtful anyone was going to get one out of the park on this day.

A switch-hitter batting righty to open the season, he sent a ball into left centerfield that Eli Santiago got a late jump on. Centerfielder Tom DeMarco tried to bail out his leftfielder, but couldn’t get to the ball and when he finally did retrieve it, his throw to the plate was well up the line and Rodriguez easily ran under it.

“It was a half-swing and I see a fly out that’s probably 200 feet high,” he said. “I’m going to second hustling as hard as I can thinking that’s a fly out and as soon as the left centerfielder dove for it and didn’t get it, I was like I’ve got to hustle even faster to get to home plate.

“Hitting it out of the park is one thing, hitting it inside is way harder. As soon as I got to the field today my teammates were like ‘we trust you, you’re going to hit a home run first pitch.’ I was like ‘I don’t think I’ve got that power.’ As soon as I hit it, they all came up to me and said you hit it and I was like I appreciate that, guys; you trust me.”

He had a full head of steam coming into third and there was no way Holt stopping him. 

“He busted it out of the box; that’s the only reason that happened,” Holt said. “If he doesn’t hustle, it’s a double. We preach going hard out of the box. He bought in.”

He ended up going 3-for-5 with a homer, double, three runs and two RBIs in his first college game. 

The Oaks never led in the game, but threatened in the eighth and got Rodriguez to the plate with another chance to deliver. He came up with two outs and bases loaded, a triple short of the cycle, with the go-ahead run at first. There was every expectation in the dugout he was going to deliver again.

Even if Rodriguez only kept the line moving and didn’t clear the bases, Nick Ciesielka, who had three hits in his first three at-bats, was right behind him with similar expectations. Batting left-handed for the first time in the game against a right-handed reliever, the freshman struck out chasing a high 3-2 changeup to end the threat.

“He got me,” Rodriguez said. “All props to the guy. It was a great pitch.”

Later in the game, the last three pitchers Holt used in relief – Aiden Ewe, J.D. Wilson and Sean Kelby – impressed with their velocity and command.

Ewe, a sophomore right-hander from Pitman, threw 31 pitches in two innings with 26 of his 27 fastballs topping 90 mph and maxing out at 95. Wilson, a freshman right-hander from Pennsville, threw a 16-pitch eighth and hit 90 with 13 of his fastballs. Sean Kelby, a 6-foot-5 freshman lefty from Delaware coming off elbow surgery, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Ewe is a converted catcher learning how to pitch and as he continues to learn his role on the mound will expand. Wilson will be an end-of-game guy. Kelby figures to be a starter.

The Oaks and Vikings were scheduled to conclude their series with a doubleheader at Ocean CC Saturday – with Kelby starting Game One – but the games were postponed due to advancing weather. The next time the Oaks take the field will be Monday to open their 10-game trip to Myrtle Beach. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Silnik will draw the Monday night start against Cairn University JV.

Last year, they opened their season on the Myrtle Beach trip and went 4-5. They were 3-5 there the year before. There is no set target record for this year’s swing.

“We just want to come back better than we are right now,” Holt said. “Continue to compete, continue to work on things, continue to get those innings under our belt so when we come back we’re ready for conference play.”

OCEAN CC 7, SALEM CC 5

Ocean (1-0)201211000771
Salem (0-1) 101010200 5103
RYAN BILELLO (W 1-0), Luke Corcoran (5), Anthony Bilello (8) and A.J. Pierson; BEN FOOTE (L 0-1), Inaki Hutchinson (4), Aiden Ewe (6), J.D. Wilson (8), Sean Kelby (9) and Angel Velez. 2B: Yen Rodriguez (S), Demetrius DeRamus (S). 3B: Carl Barth (O), Nick Ciesielka (S). HR: Yen Rodriguez (S)
Salem CC’s Yen Rodriguez’ college baseball career got off to a rousing start with an outfield assist in the top of the first and a leadoff inside-the-park homer in his first college at-bat.

Cover photo: Salem CC baseball coach John Holt explains the grounds rules at the Carneys Point Rec Field during the lineup card exchange before Friday’s season opener against Ocean CC

Split decision

Both Woodstown wrestlers at State Championships go 1-1 on the first day

By Riverview Sports News

ATLANTIC CITY – Both of Woodstown’s qualifiers to the State Wrestling Championships went 1-1 on the first day of the competition at Boardwalk Hall.

Greyson Hyland (175) lost to 8-seed Temuulen Mendbileg of St. Benedict’s 25-11 in the first round and then pinned Brayden Wright of Absegami in 1:26 in his first consolation match.

Region 8 champion Mateo Vinciguerra (215) was pinned by 7-seed Collin French of Southern Regional in 3:12 in his first round match and then took a 7-0 decision from Rocco Salerno of Seton Hall Prep in his first consolation match.

Both wrestlers are in action Friday.

Penns Grove pick

Former Glassboro HC, Penns Grove DC Maccarone said to be Red Devils’ choice for next head football coach

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Mark Maccarone never ruled out being a head coach again when he stepped away in 2017 and now that window appears to be open for him.

Penns Grove is working toward bringing former Glassboro head coach on as its next head football coach, Riverview Sports News has learned. 

Any hire, of course, is pending board approval. Maccarone declined to comment on the matter and Penns Grove athletics director Anwar Golden said an announcement on the next coach will be made March 11, which just happens to be the date of the next scheduled board meeting. 

The match is gaining traction in South Jersey high school football circles.

Maccarone certainly checks all the boxes. He has been a head coach. He has been in big games. He has won championships and coached players who’ve gone on to the NFL. He knows the Penns Grove players and the expectations the administration and community have for their football team.

He made five straight playoff appearances with Glassboro, winning two South Jersey Group I titles and reaching the semifinals two other times.

After Maccarone stepped down from the Bulldogs after seven years of commuting between Bridgeton and the school, former Penns Grove coach John Emel scarfed him up to be the Red Devils’ defensive coordinator during their 2018-19 championship run and he has helped with the program in a less formal capacity post-COVID.

“I think Mark is a heck of a football coach,” Emel, now the head coach at West Deptford, said in a general context about Maccarone’s experience. “I’ve competed against him as an assistant coach, competed against him as a head coach and coached with him for the best two-year stretch in school history.

“After 2017 when we lost I wanted to find an assistant coach with big-game experience. One of the things he hangs his hat on is never losing a sectional championship game as a coach (6-0). He’s always had a great relationship with players. I care about the kids and I’d want somebody who’d put them in positions to win. He knows how to get a team ready to win.”

With the Penns Grove search wrapping, it leaves two head football coaching openings in Salem County.

The searches at Woodstown and Salem are progressing. Woodstown has started conducting interviews. Salem has interviewed one candidate and is awaiting more.

“We won’t let it go too long before we try to ramp it up,” Rams athletics director Darryl Roberts said.

Rams come up short

Salem rallies from 12 down in second half to make it a two-point game late in fourth quarter, then comes up dry, falls to Pitman in SJ Group I semifinals

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
THURSDAY’S BOYS SEMIFINALS
Pitman 51, Salem 42
KIPP Cooper 70, Wildwood 48
SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 2 Pitman (22-7) at No. 1 KIPP Cooper (22-8), 3 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITMAN – Anthony Farmer, the coach, slumped on a bench in the back row of the locker room, his head buried in his hands. Paul Weathers leaned against a wall with a towel over his head to hide his emotions. The rest of Salem players cleared out their stalls and silently stuffed gear in their bags. The despair in the dressing room was palpable.

The Rams gave it all they had and were in it with three minutes to play, then went dry.

Pitman pulled away from a close game with three minutes to play and then held off the Rams 51-42 in the South Jersey Group I boys semifinals. The second-seeded Panthers (22-7) now travel to top-seeded KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy (22-8) for Saturday’s 3 p.m. sectional title game.

Pitman junior Elijah Crispin led the all scorers with 32 points. He buried three straight deep 3-pointers in a 90-second stretch late in the second quarter to give his team an eight-point halftime lead. Sonny Myers had 15 rebounds. Trey Tinges did an admirable job on Salem senior guard Anthony Farmer, holding the coach’s son and 1,000-point scorer to nine points in his final high school game and none in the fourth quarter.

“It hurts,” guard Farmer said. “We were right there. I really wanted this. It’s definitely tough when you know you’re that close and you come up short. We gave it everything we had, but … they got the best of us tonight.”

Salem’s Anthony Farmer (L) and Pitman’s Elijah Crispin share a moment after facing each other for the final time in Thursday’s SJ Group I playoff game.

Ramaji Bundy led Salem in his final high school game with a career-tying 15 points and six rebounds and drew the defensive assignment on Crispin. He hit all three of the Rams’ 3-pointers and was their driving force early with seven points in the first quarter. Jabez DeJesus had 10 points and nine boards. Weathers also grabbed nine rebounds.

The Rams (18-9) trailed by 12 early in the third quarter and by seven early in the fourth, but refused to fold. DeJesus got them within four on a driving layup with 5:04 to play and Bundy made it a two-point game with a pair of free throws with 2:56 left. But they were the last points Salem would score.

They nearly brought it all the way back, but just couldn’t get over the hump.

“That right there is the dagger in my heart,” DeJesus said. “I’m proud of my guys for fighting to the end. I know we didn’t get the end result we wanted, but that goes to show even if you give 100 percent the wins are never promised. Sometimes things just happen like that. We did what we could, we live with the results.”

Crispin extended the lead with a basket, then hit two free throws with less than a minute to go to make it 48-42. Chris Wyllie closed the scoring with a three-point play, his only points of the game, with 48.4 to go.

“We had opportunities,” Coach Farmer said. “We had plenty of clean looks that we could take the lead or blow it open, maybe play with a little lead, (but) the opportunities didn’t go down for us, shots didn’t go down for us. Give them credit. They hit the ones they needed to make.

“What more do you want? You cut it two, two minutes to go, you’re on the road, it’s yours for the taking. You’ve gotta make plays.”

NOTES: Bundy scored 35 points in his last three games and averaged almost 10 over his last seven games … It was only the third time in his last 40 games Farmer was held out of double figures … The nine points he did get left him with 1,175 for his career … Crispin hit four 3s in the game and now has 65 and 184 in his career. “It’s a nice feeling to hit a deep one,” he said … The Panthers were 13-of-13 from the free throw line before Crispin missed two with 34 seconds left.

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
BOYS SEMIFINALS
PITMAN 51, SALEM 42
SALEM (18-9) – Ramaji Bundy 5 2-2 15, Anthony Farmer 4 1-2 9, Jabez DeJesus 5 0-0 10, Paul Weathers 2 0-0 4, Tymear Lecator 1 0-2 2, Donovan Weathers 0 0-0 0, Marshall Stephens 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 3-6 42.
PITMAN (22-7) – Porter Kostiuk 0-2 0-0 0, Stephen Devanney 3-11 0-0 7, Elijah Crispin 8-25 8-10 28, Trey Tinges 1-2 2-2 4, Chris Wyllie 1-2 1-1 3, Michael Fisicaro 1-9 0-0 3, Sonny Myers 2-8 2-2 6, Greg Peterson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-59 13-15 51.

Salem1310127 – 42
Pitman14179 11 –51
3-point goals: Salem 3 (Bundy 3); Pitman 6-21 (Crispin 4-12, Fisicaro 1-4, Myers 0-2, Devanney 1-2, Kostiuk 0-1). Rebounds: Salem 32 (P. Weathers 9, DeJesus 9, Bundy 6); Pitman 35 (Myers 15, Crispin 6). Fouled out: Farmer. Total fouls: Salem 20, Pitman 11. Officials: Sumner, Valentine, Murtha.

KIPP COOPER NORCROSS ACADEMY 70, WILDWOOD 48

Wildwood (18-12)4101420 –48
KIPP Cooper (22-8)20151619 –70
Top players – KIPP: Maleake Kelly 21 points, 10 assists; Tahmir Dixon 17 points, 22 rebounds.

Close to perfect

Woodstown plays best game of the year when it needed it most, routs Woodbury to reach SJ-I girls title game; includes remaining Group I playoff schedule

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
THURSDAY’S GIRLS SEMIFINALS
Woodstown 80, Woodbury 57
Wildwood 62, Audubon 36
SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 4 Woodstown (21-6) at No. 2 Wildwood (22-7), 1 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODBURY – On a night when the Woodstown girls basketball team had to be at its best, the Wolverines were just about perfect.

That’s the way coach Kara Straughn described it Thursday night after her team dismantled top-seeded Woodbury 80-57 in the South Jersey Group I girls semifinals.

The Wolverines (21-6) now play at second-seeded Wildwood (22-7) Saturday at 1 p.m. for the SJ-I title. The winner advances to the state semifinals March 6 at Deptford Twp. against Central Jersey champ Middlesex or Shore Regional.

“They played as a team more than I’ve ever seen them play as a team before,” Straughn said. “They were perfect. They were so seamless, so … just flawless.

“They played together. They saw the court. They were composed. They handled the pressure. They were showing the ball. It was perfect. They were just so great.”

Perfect is as perfect does. 

The Wolverines scored more points in a game in more than 14 years on the road against the top team in the bracket. They got scoring from six players with their Big Three – Talia Battavio (25), Megan Donelson (24) and Shannon Pierman (21) – combining for 70 points.

Pierman also pulled down 16 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the year and 11th in the last 14 games; the Wolverines are 10-2 this season when the senior double dips.

And when Donelson and Pierman both were strapped to the bench in the first half with three fouls, Lauren Hengel and Emma Perry came off the bench were “just as perfect” as the starters.

The Thundering Herd (18-11) were playing without their top player, Maya Braxton-Young, suspended two games for a flagrant foul ejection in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal win over Pennsville, and were a mere shell of themselves. But the way the Wolverines played on this night, even if she were available it might not have made a difference.

Woodstown opened a 22-6 lead in the first quarter behind Donelson and Pierman and turned it into a rout with a 23-5 run in the third quarter behind the Big Three.

The win sends the Wolverines to face Wildwood with payback on their minds. When the teams met in late January, the Warriors took advantage of some friendly rims to shoot 21-of-42 from 3-point range. Angela Wilber and Macie McCracken hit seven each  and Rebecca Benichou hit six.

Straughn said her team will be ready for anything. Last year they beat the Warriors in the sectional final.

“We’ve learned our lesson,” Straughn said. “We’ve watched the game when we played them before. We watched (Wildwood’s) Glassboro game. We’ve watched so much film and taken so many notes and learned all of the lessons. We’re going to have a good practice tomorrow and we’re ready to go.”

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
WOODSTOWN 80, WOODBURY 57
WOODSTOWN (21-6) – Talia Battavio 8 8-12 25, Megan Donelson 8 7-9 24, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Baber 2 0-0 5, Shannon Pierman 9 3-4 21, Lauren Hengel 1 1-2 3, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 1 0-0 2, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 19-27 80. 
WOODBURY (18-11) – Abby Bash 4 0-0 11, Nyla Ivey 2 1-4 5, Dasani Talley-Dorman 7 4-8 18, Emerald Sills 3 1-3 7, Janessa Robinson 3 0-0 7, Melannie Noel 1 4-8 6, Zoe Bell 1 1-2 3. Totals 21 11-25 57.

Woodstown22162319 –80
Woodbury615531 –57
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Battavio, Donelson, Baber); Woodbury 5 (Bash 3, Talley-Dorman, Robinson). Rebounds: Woodstown 30 (Pierman 16). Fouled out: Pierman. Total fouls: Woodstown 21, Woodbury 20.

WILDWOOD 62, AUDUBON 36
AUDUBON (16-9) – Ashley Flynn 7 2-3 16, Peyton Marrone 2 0-0 4, Emma Speyerer 2 1-2 7, Sophia Munn 1 0-0 3, Gabby Brooks 1 0-0 2, Kylie Cannaday 1 0-0 2, Giavanna Heller 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 3-5 36.
WILDWOOD (22-7) – Sophia Wilber 4 3-4 13, Angela Wilber 3 2-2 11, Macie McCracken 6 4-5 19, Kaliah Sumlin 1 1-2 3, Rebecca Benichou 3 2-3 9, Cydnee Kilian 2 0-0 4, Ashley Nagle 1 0-0 3, Mia Cripps 0 0-0 0, Janet Gonzalez 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 12-16 62.

Audubon781011 –36
Wildwood2120165 –62
3-point goals: Audubon 3 (Speyerer 2, Munn); Wildwood 10 (S. Wilber 2, A. Wilber 3, McCracken 3, Benichou, Nagle). Rebounds: Wildwood 34 (McCracken 10, A. Wilber 6, Sumlin 7).

GROUP I ELITE 8
Saturday’s Games
South: Woodstown (21-6) at Wildwood (22-7)
Central: Shore Regional (16-11) at Middlesex (17-13)
North Jersey I: Mountain Lakes (19-7) at Park Ridge (22-5)
North Jersey II: Glen Ridge (20-6) at University (24-3)

STATE SEMIFINALS
March 6
North I vs. North II, Ramapo, 4:30 p.m.
South vs. Central, Deptford Twp., 5 p.m.

STATE FINALS
March 10 at Toms River North, 2 p.m.