Simmons has a career day at the plate for Pennsville softball; Schalick baseball crushes another toe
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Sawyer Simmons took the initiative in the offseason to become a better hitter and it’s been paying off.
Simmons went 4-for-4 with a career-tying three RBIs on a cold, windy Tuesday and Pennsville scored in every inning to beat Overbrook 8-4 to win for the third time in their last four games.
Two of her hits gave the Eagles (4-2) a lead.
The senior outfielder got her day started with a two-out, two-run single in the first that put the Eagles up 2-1. Her RBI single in the fourth put them up for good 5-4. She also had a double in the third and a single in the sixth.
It was her first career four-hit game. The Salem CC signee is 6-for-7 in her last two games.
“With the wind blowing like it was we were looking for line drives or hitting something hard on the ground and she did that every time she came up,” Eagles coach Beth Jackson said. “She hit it very hard, even gave a couple good rides that were foul balls.
“She’s struggled with her hitting over the last couple years but I told her if you wanted to take a net and tee to hit in the offseason you were more than welcome. She did take the initiative and that’s what’s come through.”
Kylie Harris had two hits for the Eagles, including an RBI single in the fifth, and is now hitting .706 for the year. She now has 84 hits in her high school career.
Reagan Wariwanchik and Makenzie Widener also drove in runs for the Eagles. Savannah Palverento worked the first six innings in the circle to get the win.
BASEBALL
SCHALICK 18, CLAYTON 1: It’s been a week since the Cougars last played, but the time off hasn’t dulled their hitting eye. The Cougars pounded out 16 hits, scored in every inning, and beat the Clippers in five innings.
Evan Glaspey went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two walks. Lucas D’Agostino went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Enrico Hatz went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Evan Sepers had two hits, starting pitcher Cole Hartley had three RBIs and Jamari Whitley drove in a pair of runs.
The Cougars have outscored their opponents 41-2 in their first three games. They have scored runs in 13 of the 15 innings they’ve batted.
Three games involving county teams were postponed: Pennsville at Overbrook, Salem at Penns Grove and Woodstown at Wildwood. The Salem-Penns Grove game has been rescheduled for Wednesday.
GOLF
WOODSTOWN 165, OVERBROOK 178: Erich Lipovsky and Joey Olbrich both shot 4-over-par 40s at Kresson GC and the Wolverines posted the three low scores of the match to even their record at 3-3. Grant Prater shot 41
Woodstown: Erich Lipovsky 40, Joey Olbrich 40, Grant Prater 41, Jack Bucksar 44.
Overbrook: Jeffrey Boyd 44, Mark Scott 44, Dominic Negron 45, Braxton Gillis 46.
TENNIS
KINGSWAY 4, WOODSTOWN 1
Filip Mirkovic (K) def. Drew Stengel, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7
Aidan Shoemaker (K) def. John Farrell, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
Nolan Steurer (K) def. Joseph Kurpis, 6-0, 6-2
Luke Shaw-Mason Shimp 
def. Jack Tanzola-Nate Bradley, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7
Brady Reyer-Ryan Finn (K) def. Ben Stengel-Nicholas DiTeodoro, 6-2, 6-3
Records: Kingsway 4-1, Woodstown 3-1.
Category: BASEBALL
This week’s schedule
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of April 7-13; games start at 4 p.m. unless noted; games subject to weather conditions
APRIL 7
BASEBALL
LEAP at Salem
Schalick at Haddon Heights
Woodstown at Pennsville
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Woodstown
Salem at Deptford
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick vs. Williamstown, Scotland Run GC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Cumberland, Running Deer GC, 3:30 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Wildwood, 3:45 p.m.
TENNIS
Deptford at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Glassboro at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Wildwood
Schalick at West Deptford, River Winds TC
TRACK
Gloucester Catholic, Wildwood at Salem
GIRLS LACROSSE
West Deptford at Woodstown
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Kingsway
APRIL 8
BASEBALL
Clayton at Schalick
Pennsville at Overbrook
Woodstown at Wildwood
SOFTBALL
Overbrook at Pennsville
Schalick at Clayton
Woodstown at Wildwood
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Clayton, The Birches, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick vs. Cumberland, Running Deer GC, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Pitman, Sakima CC, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC, 3:45 p.m.
TENNIS
Pennsville at Cumberland, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Kingsway, 3:45 p.m.
TRACK
Glassboro at Woodstown
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Schalick at Overbrook, 3:30 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Northampton CC at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Sussex County CC, 3:30 p.m.
APRIL 9
SOFTBALL
Woodstown at Maple Shade
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Triton, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Kingsway, Centeron CC, 3:30 p.m.
TENNIS
Delsea at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Haddon Heights at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Overbrook at Schalick
Timber Creek at Penns Grove
GIRLS LACROSSE
Kingsway at Woodstown
VOLLEYBALL
Triton at Salem Tech, 3:45 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Northampton CC, 3:30 p.m.
APRIL 10
BASEBALL
Clayton at Pennsville
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Pitman at Salem
Schalick at Overbrook
Woodstown at Gloucester City
SOFTBALL
Gloucester City at Woodstown
Overbrook at Schalick
Pennsville at Clayton
Penns Grove at Glassboro
Salem at Pitman
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. OLMA, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Overbrook, Sakima CC
Woodstown vs. Cumberland, Running Deer, 3:45 p.m.
TENNIS
Triton at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Vineland at Schalick
TRACK
Salem at Clayton
Woodstown at Cherokee Challenge
LACROSSE
Woodstown at Holy Spirit
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Howard CC at Salem CC, 3 p.m.
APRIL 11
BASEBALL
Pennsville at Haddon Heights
SOFTBALL
Haddon Heights at Pennsville
Haddon Heights at Woodstown
TENNIS
Penns Grove at Clayton
Woodstown at Highland, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Wildwood, 4:15 p.m.
LACROSSE
Woodstown at Moorestown Friends
GIRLS LACROSSE
Haddon Heights at Woodstown
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Camden CC at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
APRIL 12
BASEBALL
Schalick vs. Triton, 10 a.m.
Salem at Gloucester City, 10 a.m.
Schalick-Triton winner vs. Gloucester-Salem winner, 1 p.m.
Woodstown at Pennsauken Tech, 10 a.m.
Pennsville at Haddon Heights, 2:30 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Schalick at Holy Spirit, 11:30 a.m.
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Schalick girls at West Deptford, 9 a.m.
Schalick at Bridgeton Relays, 9 a.m.
Woodstown at Father Judge Invitational
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Camden CC (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Delaware Tech at Salem CC, noon
APRIL 13
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Orange County CC, noon
Salem CC Saturday
Mighty Oaks win another baseball series with doubleheader split, solidly hold onto third in region standings; softball swept by Mercer
REGION 19 BASEBALL
Salem CC 5-8, Middlesex 8-6
Mercer 6-4, Delaware Tech 0-3
RCSJ-Gloucester 20-8, Montgomery 2-7
RCSJ-Cumberland 4-12, Northampton 3-3
Brookdale 12, Bergen 1
Camden 14-13, Delaware County 2-6
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — A wise young philosopher named after a comfort food once proclaimed to the world that two out of three ain’t bad. For baseball teams that aspire to contend for a championship in one of the toughest leagues on their level in the country that’s really not a bad formula to follow.
Salem CC won Game 2 of Saturday’s Region 19 doubleheader with No. 11 Middlesex 8-6 to split the twinbill and take two of three in the weekend series. It’s the fourth straight region series the Mighty Oaks have won this season and second in a row they’ve followed Meat Loaf’s lead and taken two out of three by winning the Saturday nightcap.
Like the man said, ain’t bad. The Mighty Oaks (14-16, 10-5) are now third in the Region 19 Division III standings behind two top 10 rivals with a mid-week home-and-home against No. 4 Northampton on the horizon.
“One of the goals for the year was to get into the polls, that we felt we were a team that was good enough to get some national recognition,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “Winning two out of three against a team like (Middlesex) hopefully gets us that.
“The goal is to win it, try to win a conference (title) or win the region. Two out of three every weekend gets us closer to that.”
On top of sweeping the teams they should be beating, of course, and they’ve done that, too, this season.
The Mighty Oaks were a lot sharper in Game 2 than they were in the losing the opener 8-5 against 6-foot-7 Colts righthander Ryan Rzepinski.
They led the nightcap 6-3 before the Colts tied it on Josh Rodriguez’ three-run double in the fifth. Tyler Hacker broke the tie in the bottom of the inning when he scored from second on a wild pitch and the catcher’s throw to get him at third went down the line. Hacker started the inning with a seeing-eye single through the infield and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
“When you go up to warmup in the beginning of the inning you look to see what the pitcher’s doing, feel him out, and a lot of the balls he was spiking,” Hacker said. “In my AB he spiked a lot of balls so (on the bases) I was looking for the ball down and took advantage.
“When you’re playing for your team, doing the right thing, runs like that happen. Things like that happen.”
Sean McCormick kept the Colts at bay with another solid relief appearance. Last Saturday he struck out the side in order in the top of the eighth to give the Mighty Oaks a chance to beat Montgomery in the bottom of the inning. This week, he put the fire out in the sixth by striking out the first batter he faced after relieving starter Pat Seitzinger on three 85-86 mph pitches and closed it out with only a little drama in the seventh.
“It’s definitely stressful dealing with the fact one wrong move they win the game or they get the lead,” McCormick said. “But as coach Holt tells me every time I go out don’t be scared, trust your stuff, go how you throw and you’ll be okay. You have to trust your stuff.”
Demetrius DeRamus homered in each game for the Mighty Oaks. Both blasts led off innings. The one in the nightcap, with an angry swing in the sixth inning after going hitless in his previous three at-bats, gave them an 8-6 lead.
It went out in left and looked to be even deeper than the two-run shot he hit in the 11th inning to tie the RCSJ-Cumberland nightcap before they won it in the 12th.
“Just trying to hit something hard as I could,” he said. “I was literally working on the tee with Yen (Rodriguez) right before the game on that very pitch, the inside pitch. I’ve been getting hung up a lot, tight inside or I’m just missing it and coming a little above the ball, so we were working on trying to get down, trying to stay tight.”
ACORNS: McCormick also starts and is being considered for the Wednesday assignment against Northampton. As a starter he’s 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA, as a reliever 2-1 with a 6.94. “Seth is Seth,” Holt said. “He’s going to do a little bit of everything” … First baseman Lee Rodriguez suffered a painful hamstring injury stretching for a throw in the first game. Several of the players went out to check on him and assist him to the trainer’s tent and Holt was impressed with the way they attended to their teammate. McCormick went in for him … Matt Murphy followed his big game in the opener by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the doubleheader. He reached base in seven of his eight plate appearances and the one time he didn’t he still drove in a run.
| REGION 19 DIVISION III | REG | ALL |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 16-0 | 27-2 |
| Brookdale | 14-3 | 21-4 |
| SALEM CC | 10-5 | 14-16 |
| Camden | 10-5 | 17-7 |
| Middlesex | 10-7 | 22-12 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 9-7 | 15-12 |
| Northampton | 9-8 | 15-13 |
| Montgomery | 8-8 | 8-8 |
| Union | 4-12 | 7-14 |
| Ocean | 3-10 | 5-16 |
| Bergen | 1-12 | 3-18 |
| Delaware County | 0-16 | 1-20-1 |
Softball: Big innings, HRs
do in Mighty Oaks
REGION 19 SOFTBALL
Mercer 11-14, Salem CC 8-5
Delaware Tech 9-9, Lackawanna 1-0
RCSJ-Gloucester 7-6, Northampton 6-5
PENNSVILLE – Once-beaten Mercer CC used a seven-run inning in each game and the long ball in the nightcap to sweep the Mighty Oaks 11-8 and 14-5.
The Vikings (17-1) scored seven runs in the second inning of the opener and led 10-0 after batting in the third, then held off Salem’s comeback bid. They scored seven in the fifth inning of the nightcap and scored 10 runs in the final two innings to complete the sweep.
The Mighty Oaks cut their Game 1 deficit in half with five runs in the home third, highlighted by Jocelyn Melendez’ two-run single. They added two more in the sixth on Chantelle Haskie’s RBI single and Bella Rappa’s sacrifice fly.
They continued to apply pressure and had the tying run at the plate twice in the seventh inning, but ended up getting only one run out of it.
Ella Hayes had three hits in the game for Salem. Melendez and Val Hatterer each had two.
Mercer hit four home runs in the nightcap, two by Emily Wyzykowski.
The Vikings scored four runs in the first on Kelci O’Dell’s leadoff homer and Wyzykowski’s three-run shot. Stella Logan’s three-run homer in the fourth gave them the lead for good and Wyzykowski hit a two-run homer in their seven-run fifth.
The Mighty Oaks bounced back after Mercer’s opening salvo and took a 5-4 lead after three innings. They got two in the first on RBI singles by Tiana Wilson and Callie Rozak, one in the second on Hayes’ sacrifice fly and two in the third on Hatterer’s squeeze bunt and Haskie’s go-ahead RBI single.
Murphy breaks out
Sophomore outfielder breaks out of a hitting slump with an 8-RBI day that included a grand slam to lead Salem CC past Middlesex
FRIDAY REGION 19 BASEBALL
Salem 16, Middlesex 5
Lackawanna 4-6, Sussex 3-0
Mercer 10, Delaware Tech 0
Camden 13, Delaware County 3
RCSJ-Cumberland 21, Northampton 5
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
EDISON — There isn’t an everyday player in the game who likes having an unscheduled day off in the middle of the season, but in Matt Murphy’s case, it might have been the best thing that could have happened to him.
The sophomore outfielder broke out of a 5-for-32 hitting slump with three hits, a grand slam and a career-high eight RBIs Friday to lead Salem CC past Middlesex 16-5 in the opener of their Region 19 series.
Murphy had an RBI single in the first inning, a bases-loaded three-run double in the second and the grand slam in the third. All three hits came with two outs.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a day like this in my life,” he said. “Not to this extent, that I can remember.”
Murphy broke out of an 0-for-12 with his first homer of the season at RCSJ-Cumberland and was 5-for-19 in the five games since entering Friday’s game.
He was pulled from the first game of last week’s doubleheader against Montgomery County after striking out more ways than one in the fifth inning and sat in the nightcap. It was the first time he was out of the lineup this season, but it gave him a new perspective on the game.
“The game off really centered myself,” Murphy said. “I really felt like I needed it because of just the spiraling down into negative thoughts and not being the player I know how to be.
“It really centered myself and it showed me the side of being on the bench. I never want to be on the bench, I always want to be playing, so it was kind of just a reality check that I feel like I needed. It felt good to come in today with a new mindset and just do well for the team.”
Murphy’s RBI single drove in the game’s first run and he scored on Angel Velez’ RBI double. His bases-clearing double gave the Mighty Oaks a 6-0 lead. And his grand slam highlighted a six-run third that pushed the game into run-rule territory.
The slam was his third home run of the season. The Mighty Oaks are 3-0 this year in games in which he homers, 5-1 during his career.
His previous single-game high for RBI was five against Northland T&CC on the Mighty Oaks’ trip to Florida. He had four against Oakton two days later. But he had only five RBIs over the next 10 games.
“We gave him Game 2 off on the weekend and I think he had a chance to kind of take a step back from things and evaluate,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “Honestly, he had a great week of practice, really busted his butt with Coach D and working on his swing and approach, approach, approach, and it’s paid off.”
Chris Kelly homered for the Mighty Oaks in the fourth inning. Jon Gambone pitched a seven-inning complete game allowing four hits and striking out nine. He did not give up an earned run.
“The mindset was to shorten it up and just try to win every inning,” Holt said. “I think we did win every inning but one and the inning we didn’t win we tied. It was a good game. It really was a big momentum for us. I hope we can build on it.”
As soon as the team got back from the game they put up their gear then headed to the Carneys Point Rec Complex to get their field ready for Saturday’s scheduled noon doubleheader.
| Salem CC (13-15) | 246 211 0- | 16 | 10 | 5 |
| Middlesex (21-11) | 001 130 0- | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Photo: Salem CC outfielder Matt Murphy is greeted at the plate by his teammates after hitting a third-inning grand slam Friday. (Screenshot from Gamechanger video)
Lots of ball left
Pennsville baseball has lofty goals in 2025 but still looking for first win after falling to Gloucester Catholic
FRIDAY BASEBALL
Gloucester Catholic 7, Pennsville 3
Schalick at Delran, ppd.
Haddon Heights at Woodstown, ppd.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – For the Pennsville baseball team, the 2025 season was one of high promise and even higher expectations but it hasn’t exactly started in championship form.
It’s only been two games, but the Eagles are still looking for their first win after falling to Gloucester Catholic 7-3 Friday in a game moved from Brooklawn to the Pennsville’s JV field just to get it played.
It isn’t quite the start the Eagles (0-2) expected, but no one’s panicking. In fact, coach Matt Karr sounds a bit like Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson talking about the Braves’ 0-7 start. “You don’t double bogey the first hole and then give up on the round,” Olson opined.
After all, in the Eagles’ case, they have opened the season against two of South Jersey’s best teams in a schedule that is filled with tough games.
“It’s early April,” Karr said. “We preach in this program all the time that you could be 28-0 and you don’t get the job done in late May and early June it means absolutely nothing.
“We talk a lot to these guys about Pennsville baseball, the tradition that’s here and about the teams that have come before them. We set the bar high here that we want to win state championships, so being 0-2 means nothing to us. That’s why we talk a lot about process, the way we do things.
“The speech out in left field today was building. Today was a building day. I always say you have to stack good days on top of good days. We had a good practice yesterday. We came out, we competed today, we’ll stack that one on top and hopefully keep heading in the right direction.”
Against a Rams team many consider the state’s best, the Eagles held a 2-1 lead and after they fell behind had the tying run in the hole with one out in the seventh inning.
Pennsville third baseman Stevie Fatcher didn’t play many JV games on Friday’s field, but he has hit on it pretty well when the varsity plays there. His first at-bat on the open-ended field last year was a grand slam and he remembers hitting a long double there later in the year. He had two hits Friday, including a second-inning double that gave the Eagles their 2-1 lead.
“Cohen (Petrutz) laid down a bunt and moved everybody down,” Fatcher said. “Then Jeff (Wagner) got a run in and I had the guy at third base right there. My teammates were telling me how (GC starter Brody Gates) was throwing, I looked for something early, squared up and it one- or two-hopped the (left field) fence. I can’t do it without my teammates.”
The Rams retook the lead with four runs in the third inning and extended the lead with runs in the fourth and sixth. In the fourth, Braeden Lipoff doubled home the tying run, Henry Pancoast plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and Jude Morgan doubled home two insurance runs.
Their run in the fifth scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch and they created the run in the sixth with Noah Danza’s bunt single, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly.
“We opened on the road at Pitman and we were not happy with the way we played,” Karr said. “We talk to these guys a lot about the process and the way we do things, not so much the scoreboard and results, and we weren’t happy with the process at Pitman, the way we played. That whole day in general was not the way we wanted to start our season.
“We pride ourselves on playing a very competitive schedule. I told the guys out in the field today was a building day. We’re not happy with the outcome, but we’re building on the process. The process today, the way we did things, was much better. We were competitive with a team (media) says is the best our state has to offer. Not happy, but intrigued with how well we played.”
Logan Streith took the mound with bases loaded in the fourth, got the final out and finished the game. He gave up only one more run and three hits. The Rams loaded the bases against him with one out in the seventh, but he got out of that with a strikeout and flyout.
“I thought he did really good,” Karr said. “He’s a guy we’re trying to get into that starter role, see if he can stretch it out and lengthen some innings for us. Brought him in relief today and I thought he did a good job … I was really impressed with Logan. Hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come.”
The Eagles will continue the search for that elusive first win Monday against Woodstown.
“I kind of stay away from all the expectations and all that; we’ve just got to play our game,” Fatcher said. “If you watched the game against Pitman and then today we look like a whole different ball team out here, man.
“Before Pitman our practices we were just getting around, but we locked in and know what we want now. I’m not bothered by the 0-2. We’re going to start a win streak and it’s going to be long.”
The history is there. The last time the Eagles started 0-2 was 2021. They bounced back from that with a five-game winning streak and went on to play in the South Jersey Group I semifinals.
| Gloucester Catholic (4-0) | 104 101 0- | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Pennsville (0-2) | 021 000 0- | 3 | 6 | 2 |
Tennis
PENNSVILLE 5, BRIDGETON 0
Gabe Schneider (P) def. Uriel Perez, 6-1, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. Jonathan Barragan, 6-2, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Eliasar Velasquez, 6-0, 6-0
Lucas Cooksey-Sawyer Humphrey (P) def. Hernandez Enrique-Anselmo Taper Ramirez, 6-2, 6-1
Matthew Forino-Carter Willis (P) def. Jonathon Salas-Justin Salas, 6-1, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 3-0, Bridgeton 0-6.
Softball
DELSEA 12, SCHALICK 0: Morgan McLean went 4-for-4 and Iris Chapman scattered three singles while striking out to keep Delsea undefeated (3-0). Cloe Elliott, Annmarie Podehl and Olivia Vanacker had the Cougars’ hits.
Perfect Pokrovsky
Schalick senior throws perfect game at Woodstown in first start of the season, Cougars support him with 10 runs in the first inning
WEDNESDAY BASEBALL
Schalick 11, Woodstown 0
Pitman 7, Pennsville 2
Holy Cross 16, Salem 2
Penns Grove 16, LEAP 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — It was a little chilly and a bit breezy but Luke Pokrovsky was as hot on the mound as any day in May.
The Schalick left-hander couldn’t have started his pitching year any better unless, of course, he had gone the full seven innings.
In his first start of his senior year Wednesday the Penn signee fashioned a five-inning perfect game, striking out 11 in the Cougars’ 11-0 Diamond Division win over Woodstown.
It was his first high school perfect game. He threw a no-hitter last year against Wildwood and had three other starts of six innings or longer in which he allowed just one hit. It was his ninth career game with double-digit strikeouts.
“With him, he doesn’t seem to amaze me because each time, each start, I feel like he gets better,” Cougars coach Sean O’Brien. “I’m not shocked at it, but it does kind of throw you off that he’d be on this early. He’s a special type of player. He keeps getting better.”
Pokrovsky threw 69 pitches, 46 for strikes. Included in the package was the new off-speed stuff he’s been working on in the offseason and three scrimmage appearances. He figured he threw two of those pitches to each hitter Wednesday.
He was so efficient he went to three balls on only two batters and threw more than five pitches to three. The Wolverines put only four balls in play against him, all in the infield. He struck out the side in the second, third and fifth innings.
The only ball that looked like it might get through was Rocco String’s comebacker through the box in the fourth that shortstop Evan Glaspey fielded cleanly and threw on for the out. The other non-strikeouts were a pop to short, a soft liner to second and another ball back to the mound.
“I know coming off a hot year last year everybody was going to be expecting me to come out with my fastball, but I was trying to work on the off-speed more,” Pokrovsky said. “After the first inning and throwing that good I was just trying to get strikes over the plate and try to locate better so they couldn’t get hard-hit balls off me. I was really happy with how it came out.
“Coming out like that, you can’t get any better. It was … perfect.”
Yes, it was.
After Pokrovsky put the Wolverines down in order in the first, his teammates gave him 10 runs of support in the bottom of the inning. It would have been 11 but a runner failed to touch the plate when he came in to score.
Sixteen batters came to the plate in the inning. Woodstown starter Dante Holmes got the leadoff man, then the next 14 Cougars reached safely.
Evan Sepers, who made the first out of the inning, had a two-run single the next time he came to the plate.
Pokrovsky went to the pen with catcher Ricky Watt during the long inning to keep his arm warm. When he went back to the mound he struck out the side on 13 pitches.
“He was excellent at getting ahead of guys, attacking hitters,” O’Brien said. “He wasn’t playing around with them. I feel when he attacks hitters he can go deep in the game and force them to put the ball in play. He did a great job of that from the start today.”
Photo: Schalick pitcher Luke Pokrovsky tips his cap coming off the mound after completing his five-inning perfect game against Woodstown.
SCHALICK 11, WOODSTOWN 0
| Woodstown (2-1) | 000 00- | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Schalick (2-0) | (10)01 0x- | 11 | 12 | 0 |
PITMAN 7, PENNSVILLE 2: Hudson Rue held the Eagles to three hits over the first five innings and the Panthers broke open a close game with five runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Steve Fatcher gave Pennsville a 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second, but the Panthers took the lead for good with two in the bottom of the inning.
Fatcher had two other hits for the Eagles. Luke Wood pitched the first four innings for Pennsville, allowing just two runs, three hits and striking out seven.
| Pennsville (0-1) | 010 000 1- | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Pitman (3-2) | 020 023 x- | 7 | 8 | 0 |
HOLY CROSS 16, SALEM 2: The Lancers broke it open with 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after the Rams pushed across their first run of the game on Bryce Harris’ RBI double in the top of the inning. Terrell Robinson had two of Salem’s four hits.
| Salem (1-1) | 000 11- | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Holy Cross (2-3) | 203 (11)x- | 16 | 9 | 0 |
PENNS GROVE 16, LEAP 1: The Red Devils jumped out from with five in the home first and then erupted for 11 in the second to turn it into a rout. Elijah Crespo went 3-for-3. Liam Irvin scored three runs and was one of five players who had two RBIs. Tommy Mattioli allowed two hits and walked one from the mound.
| LEAP (0-3) | 010 00- | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Penns Grove (2-2) | 5(11)0 0- | 16 | 8 | 2 |
Big turnaround
Salem CC’s Rodriguez wins weekly national award; production up, strikeouts down
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Salem CC Yen Rodriguez led the nation in strikeouts last season and under any other circumstance that would be cause for celebration. Problem is, he’s a hitter.
Even he recognized the need for better plate discipline and worked all offseason on his approach. This season the Mighty Oaks’ sophomore has cut down on his strikeouts, already hit more home runs and today he’s being celebrated as a national award winner.
Rodriguez added the NJCAA Division III Player of the Week award to the GSAC Position Player of the Week award he won earlier in the week. He’s the first national player winner in coach John Holt’s tenure with the Mighty Oaks.
The switch-hitter from Vineland who has played both in the infield and outfield this season, batted .692 (9-for-13) in four games last week with two homers, six RBIs, 11 runs scored and five stolen bases – and just one strikeout.
“It’s a huge honor,” Holt said. “The kid’s worked real hard. He’s starting to buy into some of the things our hitting coaches have been working with him on and with the buy-in he’s seeing those results. He’s got all the talent in the world. He just needed to make a few adjustments and he’s seeing the results.
“He was sometimes overly aggressive, swinging at a pitcher’s pitch, so we asked him to see some more pitches, work himself into counts where he could drive the baseball as oppose to defensive counts. He’s swinging at more hitters’ pitchers and doing well with it. It took him doing what happened last year to kind of open his eyes a little bit and make those adjustments and he’s done that and we’re better for it.”
Last year, Rodriguez led Division III with 61 strikeouts in 152 at bats – but still hit .303 with five homers, a .488 on base percentage and .559 slugging percentage.
Through 27 games this season he is batting .414 with six homers, 24 RBIs, a .552 on base percentage and .747 slugging percentage. He ranks in the top 10 nationally in homers, run scored and stolen bases. He still has fanned 23 times, but only twice in the seven games (21 at bats) since the Mighty Oaks returned from their Florida trip.
“All last season with leading the region in strikeouts it was mainly because I was a pull hitter; I was not dominant on the opposite side,” Rodriguez said after plating the winning run in a recent 12-inning win over RCSJ-Gloucester that didn’t figure in this award. “Going up there and hitting the ball opposite like I’ve been trying to do and honestly frustrated with the fact I couldn’t score the runs, (delivering that game-winner) made me happy because I’m working at the end of the day.”
Yen Rodriguez Week
| AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB-K | SB | |
| Mercer | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1-0 | 1 |
| Montgomery | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1-0 | 2 |
| Montgomery | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2-0 | 1 |
| Montgomery | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-1 | 1 |
| Totals | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5-1 | 5 |
Instant impact
Freshman Battavio sharp in varsity debut; Woodstown, Schalick, Salem all win big in baseball; includes softball, golf, tennis, volleyball results
MONDAY BASEBALL
Salem 18, Wildwood 6
Schalick 12, Glassboro 2
Woodstown 12, Penns Grove 2
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – Walker Battavio had been waiting for his chance to start a varsity baseball game since he got to the eighth grade. Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro made that dream come from Monday and the freshman left-hander was a nightmare for the batters who faced him.
Battavio racked up strikeouts the way his older sister Talia racked up 3-pointers on the basketball court. He struck out seven in his three innings of work and his teammates staked him to a big early lead in a 12-2 five-inning win over Penns Grove.
His first seven outs all came by punch-outs, including a run of six in a row. He probably would have had more, but was on a pitch count in his first varsity start and was lifted after three innings and 51 pitches.
“I was looking forward to this a lot; it was one of my goals coming into high school,” Battavio said. “I thought I did good. I threw a lot of strikes, so that helped out.”
Battavio learned late last week he was going to start the Wolverines’ division opener and had the weekend to think about it. He said he was a little scared at first, then settled in for the assignment as time went on. Even during the school day he was nervous, but calmed down once he got on the field.
He was really only in trouble once and got out of that like a crafty veteran. He loaded the bases with one out in the first on a walk and two singles, but took a couple deep breaths behind the mound to calm down and got through it by striking out the next two batters. He almost had an immaculate inning in the second striking out the side.
Sol Elmer, another freshman, followed Battavio to the mound and finished the game.
For DeCastro, Battavio checked two of the big boxes he has for evaluating a rookie pitcher. He settled in after some expected early uneasiness, and the next inning he treated the lead his teammates gave him “appropriately.”
There will be more starts in his future.
“I’m not going to be super fixed with him just because he is a freshman,” DeCastro said. “I want to see him handle a couple different types of experiences before I really start to put any real pressure on him. He’s going to start another game next week and we’ll see how he handles that and kind of build the type of intensity and the game pressure that he pitches (under).
“He’s a freshman so I’m not going to put him in a situation where I don’t think he can do what he can succeed. He did well enough he gets (next) Tuesday and we’ll see where he is on that game and go from there.”
After Battavio got out of the first, the Wolverines rewarded their pitcher with nine runs in the bottom of the inning. They sent 15 batters to the plate and actually did most of their damage – seven runs worth – with two outs. Rocco String delivered the crushing blow, a three-run double.
Penns Grove coach Chuck Weigle said things might have been different had the Red Devils (1-2) gotten those early runs home.
“You get one or two there, it puts little bit more pressure on them,” he said. “They’re expecting to come out here probably thinking ‘it’s an easy game for us,’ (but) we put two runs on the board early it’s different game. They have to come up here ready to swing. It puts a little bit of pressure on them, make them make the moves, come out here and have to play baseball.”
Top photo: Woodstown first baseman Jack Holladay has a thumb up for the pitching performance Walker Battavio (L) gave in his varsity debut Monday.
| Penns Grove (1-2) | 000 02- | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Woodstown (2-0) | 912 0x- | 12 | 9 | 3 |
SCHALICK 12, GLASSBORO 2: Luke Pokrovsky homered and drove in five runs and starting pitcher Lucas D’Agostino struck out 10 in four innings as the Cougars opened their season in a big way.
Pokrovsky, a Penn signee, went 3-for-4 and was a single away from hitting for an Opening Day cycle to lead the Cougars’ 14-hit attack. He hit a two-run triple in the fourth and solo homer in the fifth. Evan Sepers, Jamari Whitley, J.T. Fleming and Eli Cummings had two hits apiece.
D’Agostino pitched the first four innings, giving up two hits and an unearned run. Cole Hartley wrapped it up, striking out four in his two innings.
| Glassboro (0-1) | 001 001- | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Schalick (1-0) | 122 412- | 12 | 14 | 1 |
SALEM 18, WILDWOOD 6: The Rams opened their season with the highest scoring game in their two seasons under coach Eric Fizur.
Eithan Longo and Terrell Robinson both had three hits and three RBIs, while Jacob Parkell and Austin Davis both had two hits and two RBIs. Chase Davis had two hits and scored four runs. The first three hitters in the Rams’ lineup – Longo, Davis and Robinson – were a combined 8-for-12 with six RBIs and nine runs scored.
They took the lead with a five-run third and blew it open with eight in the sixth.
“We played well today and took advantage of the opportunities we had,” Fizur said. “The players are more locked in this year, more focused. It showed today, and it’s something we can build on.”
The 18 runs were the most the Rams have scored in a game since putting 22 on Bridgeton in May 2023. They scored 18 in a win over Pleasantville later that season.
| Salem (1-0) | 105 228- | 18 | 14 | 3 |
| Wildwood (0-1) | 220 101- | 8 | 10 | 3 |
Softball
MONDAY SOFTBALL
Pennsville 11, Gloucester Catholic 6
Schalick 14, Glassboro 7
Wildwood 15, Salem 4
PENNSVILLE 11, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 6: Graillyn Weber’s two-run double in the fourth inning gave Pennsville the lead (6-4) and the Eagles broke it open with five in the top of the seventh. Kylie Harris Makenzie Widener and Salem CC signees Savannah Palverento and Sawyer Simmons all had two hits for the Eagles.
WILDWOOD 15, SALEM 4: The Rams fell behind 9-0 and couldn’t climb out of the hole. J Love and R Doerr both had two hits for Salem.
Tennis
PENNSVILLE 5, WILDWOOD 0
Gabe Schneider (P) def. Giorgio Palesano, 6-0, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. Brian Damian, 6-0, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Simon Palaces, 6-0, 6-0
Lucas Cooksey-Sawyer Humphrey (P) def. Christopher Hernandez-Chris Olivera, 6-1, 6-0
Carter Willis-Ian Peacock (P) def. Gabriel Hernandez-Eric Miranda, 6-0, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 1-0, Wildwood 0-3.
PENNS GROVE 5, GLASSBORO 0
Alex Ramirez Martinez (P) def. Kevin Unbato, 6-1, 6-3
Poyraz Erdönmez (P) def. Andrew Miller, 5-7, 6-1
Stuart Mondragon (P) def. Rowan Somdhal-Sands, 6-0, 6-1
Anthony Pacheco-Rene Ruiz (P) def. Jesus Lopez-Jeffrey Guzman, 6-4, 6-2
Angel Perez Herrera-Juan Ortiz (P) def. Jeffrey Guzman-Nico Tsoulcalis, 6-0, 6-1
Records: Penns Grove 1-0, Glassboro 0-1.
Golf
GIRLS
WILLIAMSTOWN 205, SCHALICK 222: Williamstown’s Brynn DiGiamberardino was low medalist at Scotland Run (46). Cali Fisler and Abby Willoughby posted the Cougars’ low rounds (54).
Volleyball
HIGHLAND 2, SALEM TECH 0: The game scores were 25-15, 25-17
This week’s schedule
Here is the Salem County sports calendar from the week of March 30-April 6; events start at 4 p.m. unless noted
MARCH 31
BASEBALL
Glassboro at Schalick
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Salem at Wildwood
SOFTBALL
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Stauffer Fields
Schalick at Glassboro
Woodstown at Penns Grove
Wildwood at Salem
GOLF
Schalick girls vs. Williamstown, Scotland Run
Woodstown vs. Deptford, Town & Country GL, 3 p.m.
TENNIS
Clayton at Schalick
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Wildwood at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
TRACK
Glassboro at Penns Grove
LACROSSE
St. Joseph at Woodstown
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Highland, 3:45 p.m.
APRIL 1
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Pitman, Pitman CC
Schalick vs. Wildwood, Union League GC
GIRLS LACROSSE
Haddonfield at Woodstown, 4:30 p.m.
TENNIS
Glassboro at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Camden County Tech, 3:45 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Lackawanna at Salem CC, 3 p.m.
APRIL 2
BASEBALL
LEAP at Penns Grove
Pennsville vs. Pitman, Alcyon Park
Salem at Holy Cross
Woodstown at Schalick
SOFTBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Salem
Pitman at Pennsville
Woodstown at Schalick
GOLF
Schalick girls vs. Clearview, Centerton CC
TENNIS
Middle Twp. at Woodstown
Pennsville at Overbrook
TRACK
Schalick at Pennsville
Woodstown at Overbrook
APRIL 3
SOFTBALL
Penns Grove vs. LEAP at Rutgers Camden
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Cumberland, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Wildwood, Union League National
Schalick vs. Overbrook, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
TENNIS
Pennsville vs. Clayton, Williamstown MS
Schalick at Glassboro
Woodstown at Triton
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Camden CC, 3:30 p.m.
APRIL 4
BASEBALL
Haddon Heights at Woodstown
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Brooklawn MS
Schalick at Delran
SOFTBALL
Salem at Camden County Tech
Schalick at Delsea
Woodstown at Haddon Heights
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Cedar Creek, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick vs. Overbrook, Centerton CC
TENNIS
Pennsville at Bridgeton, 3:45 p.m.
Vineland at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
LACROSSE
Lower Cape May at Woodstown
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Middlesex, 3:30 p.m.
APRIL 5
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Millville Tournament, 9 a.m.
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem at Deptford Relays, 9 a.m.
Schalick at Buena Relays, 9 a.m.
Woodstown in Invitational at Univ. of Delaware, 9 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Mercer County CC at Salem CC, noon
Saturday baseball
Penns Grove wins with big seventh-ining rally, Woodstown opens its season with a shutout
By Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Alex Rubio delivered the game-winning hit with one out in the seventh inning to cap a five-run rally and lift Penns Grove over Bridgeton 9-8 for its first win of the high school baseball season Saturday.
Bridgeton broke a 3-3 tie with five runs in the sixth inning. Penns Grove got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth, then rallied in the seventh.
Bristol Scott went 3-for-3 to lead Penns Grove’s seven-hit attack. Rubio, Tommy Mattioli, Jaxson Raymond, Liam Irvin and Alex Pax were all credited with an RBI.
WOODSTOWN 6, GATEWAY 0: Ty Coblentz and Walker Battavio both had three singles and two RBIs and three Woodstown pitchers scattered four hits and struck out 10 as the Wolverines opened their season with a shutout.
Aaron Foote threw 3 2/3 inning of one-hit relief and struck out five behind starter Rocco String to get the win. Michael Valente finished it off with 2 1/3 of one-hit relief.
Lucas Fulmer had a pair of hits for the Wolverines.
Riverview Sports News 