Schalick smacks Mainland to clinch top seed in SJ Group I playoffs, Hartley throws complete game, Sepers gets his 100th career hit; includes scores and highlights from Friday’s Salem County sports calendar

BASEBALL	SOFTBALL	TENNIS
Schalick 10, Mainland 4	Clearview 9, Pennsville 7	Overbrook 3, Woodstown 2
Woodstown 4, Oakcrest 1	Salem 12, Bridgeton 1	BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Camden Academy 13, Salem Tech 9	Camden Academy at Salem Tech	Triton at Salem Tech
		GIRLS LACROSSE
		Paul VI 21, Woodstown 8

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – When Evan Sepers contemplated what the 100th hit of his high school career might look like, he usually thought of it being some kind of hard liner into the outfield or something even more majestic. Something more along the lines of the 101st hit he got in his second at bat Friday.

Years from now they’ll remember it as a frozen rope, but truth be told the milestone hit didn’t make it to the pitcher’s mound.

The Schalick senior got his 100th career hit in the first inning of the Cougars’ 10-4 win over Mainland that ostensibly earned them the No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Jersey Group I baseball playoffs for the first time.

It was a two-strike chopper in front of the plate that rolled into the no-man’s land between the pitcher and catcher and he beat it out without a throw for a single. To take a phrase straight from the golf course, they don’t ask you how, they just ask how many.

“I saw when it hit the ground it jumped into fair play so I just put my head down and started running,” Sepers said. “I saw the first baseman just kind of drop his arm as if he wasn’t going to catch a baseball. I didn’t know whether or not the catcher bobbled it or it went foul. It was just kind of wildin’ all over the place.

“I was hoping it was going to be a line drive, maybe an RBI single or maybe if I got lucky got hold of one and hit one out – that would’ve been the ideal hit for 100 – but I’m just glad I hit 100. That’s something I set my mind on since the start of the season. I knew the number (to reach it) was going to be big. The most hits I’ve had in a season before this was 31 last year. I’m just thrilled that I hit 100. It’s something I’ve had my mindset on since I walked in here as a freshman and hitting it is just like a dream come true.”

Sepers’ second hit was a more like he dreamed the first one would be. He ripped a solid single into right field. He went 2-for-3 in the game and is now working on a 10-game hitting streak in which he’s batting .548 (17-for-31). 

He reached his milestone hit in 240 career at-bats. Cougars coach Sean O’Brien, who described Sepers as “one of our best pure hitters,” said the RCSJ-Cumberland signee would’ve gotten to the number sooner had he not been injured (and limited to 21 at-bats) his sophomore year.

Next up on the Cougars’ 100-hit watch is catcher Ricky Watt. He needs five for the milestone after going 1-for-2 against the Mustangs to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Both of Sepers’ hits were part of four-run innings that staked the Cougars to an early 8-0 lead. It was such a dominating start, all nine spots in their order had reached base at least once through 19 batters.

Bo Schalick had RBI singles in each of the first two innings – the first one scoring Sepers – and had a two-run single in his third at-bat to give the Cougars a 10-2 lead after three innings. Dante Zappala kept the Cougars off the board over the last three innings to give the Mustangs a chance to get back in it, but Schalick right-hander Cole Hartley proved too tough to solve.

The Cougars (16-6) caught the Group 3 Mustangs (14-8) ripe for the picking. Mainland was coming off a win over St. Augustine Prep the day before and was playing its fourth game in as many days, but coach Billy Kern wasn’t making any excuses.

“They’re young, they play a lot of games all the time, doubleheaders, things like that,” he said. “No excuses. We just kind of no-showed the first inning or two. They’re a good team, (you) can’t fall behind like that or else you’re going to pay the price like we did.

“We didn’t come out throwing strikes, fell behind, pitch count got high right away and offensively we started pressing a little bit. Tried to do too much a little bit too early, but again, no excuses. Give credit to their pitcher. He threw a fantastic game.”

Hartley pitched what he called “my best game overall.” He threw a complete game, giving up four hits and striking out six, and in the two innings the Mustangs did get something going he got through it with a minimal amount of damage.

Hartley went into the seventh inning 15 pitches under his limit. O’Brien wanted to give him every chance to finish and the pitcher responded to the trust by quickly retiring the Mustangs on three fly balls.

“I knew I had to go against a tough team today and I was feeling it and I wanted to dominate,” Hartley said. “I went against Clearview a couple weeks ago and I started off good, four scoreless and one hit, but I lost it in the fifth inning and I was like I’m not letting that happen today. I was going to go the full distance and get us the No. 1 seed for sure.”

The Cougars went into the game on top of the South Jersey Group I power points standings. A win over an elite Group 3 team on the next to last day before the cutoff will make it virtually impossible to be overtaken.

“We knew if we could secure a win today it would guarantee (the No. 1),” O’Brien said. “There was no guessing. We don’t need other people’s help. We were going to take care of business ourselves. 

“We really just wanted to come here and be competitive and play well. We’ve played well against good teams like this but we haven’t pushed through yet, so it was really good to push through against one of those top teams. We’ve hung around with those other teams but we just kind of came up short, so it was good to actually push through.”

Mainland	002	200	0-	4	4	1
Schalick	442	000	x-	10	7	1

WOODSTOWN 4, OAKCREST 1: Luke Fraley hit his third homer of the season and two pitchers gave up four hits and an unearned runs in the Wolverines’ third straight victory. Ty Coblentz and Tommy Tucci each had two hits for Woodstown (15-8)

CAMDEN ACADEMY CHARTER 13, SALEM TECH 9: The Cougars pulled away from a one-run game with six runs in the home fifth, sending Salem Tech to its fourth straight loss. Jorge Rodriguez’ bases-loaded, two-run single got the bigger inning started. The Chargers had 11 hits, with Chase Pompper, Cole Sacks, Logan Hearn and Brayden McAllister having two apiece.

Softball

SALEM 12, BRIDGETON 1: Avah Brown pitched a five-inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts to help the Rams (2-16) snap a 13-game losing streak. Isla Bohn had two hits and Xiomara Cano-Merced and Jaylynn Dickerson each drove in a pair of runs. The Rams broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning.

CLEARVIEW 9, PENNSVILLE 7: Ella Redheffer’s RBI double in the sixth snapped a 6-6 tie and Ava D’Alessandro singled home and insurance run before the inning was over to lift the Pioneers (15-7). D’Alessandro went 4-for-4 and Redheffer had three hits and drove in a pair of runs Lily Edwards had three hits and Avery Watson had three hits apiece for the Eagles (13-6). Edwards also drove in three runs.

Girls Lacrosse

PAUL VI 21, WOODSTOWN 8: Emma McCarthy scored a career-high nine goals to move within three of 300 for her career to lead Paul VI (9-6). Delaney Walker (221) and Emma Morgan (124) each scored three goals for Woodstown (7-7)