Not the same team

Shorthanded Buena erupts for 10 runs in final two innings, scores its first win, hands Penns Grove first loss in District 3 LL Tournament

DISTRICT 3 TOURNAMENT
Buena 11, Penns Grove 6

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

BUENA — Penns Grove was on a generational run in its first two games of this year’s District 3 Little League Tournament, but there was something different about it on a hot Tuesday night.

Shorthanded Buena erupted for 10 runs in the final two innings to score its first win of the tournament and hand Penns Grove its first loss, 11-6.

Penns Grove rallied from deficits to 1-0 and 5-3 to tie the game in the home fifth before Buena, down to 10 players due to injuries, erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth to take ultimate control.

Before Buena came to life in the fifth, Penns Grove had given up just three runs in its first 14 tournament innings.

“I think they dealt with same thing last night (at Pennsville) we did tonight,” Penns Grove manager Steve Raymond said. “My guys were flat. They were flat and made some mistakes on the bases … it all adds up.

“We weren’t the team we were the other two games, I can tell you that. But I’d rather get it out of the way now so they know how much it sucks (to lose).”

Penns Grove tied the game 1-1 in the third on Lucas Vong’s RBI single, but had two runners thrown out at home plate. They took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Achillius Vong’s solo homer and Jimmy LaPalomento’s RBI triple and it looked for a time it was going to stand the way Tanner Raymond was dealing in relief on the mound.

The manager’s son put up zeroes on 23 pitches in the third and fourth innings behind starter Lucas Ware. But Buena solved him in the fifth, scoring four runs with timely hitting and the kind of aggressive base running Penns Grove has been known for early in the tournament to take a 5-3 lead.

Shawn Poindexter, Lucas Vong and Nolan O’Brien all had two hits for Penns Grove. Jace Nimohay had three hits and was a homer shy of the cycle for Buena.

The loss knocked Penns Grove out a tie for first place in the American Division with Millville. They play Millville in their final pool game Friday night, but Millville has a date with Pennsville the next night that could decide everybody’s fate.

“We told them we’ve got to forget this one,” Raymond said. “It’s done.”

BUENA 11, PENNS GROVE 6

Buena	100 046-	11	9	0
Penns Grove	001 221-	6	9	0

WP: Dalton Maldonado. LP: Aiden Robertson. 2B: Jace Nimohay (B), Levi Myers (B), Shawn Poindexter (PG). 3B: Jace Nimohay (B),Jimmy LaPalomento (PG). HR: Achillius Vong (PG). RBI:Jonah Matos (B), Jace Nimohay (B) 2, Stephen Pollock (B) 2, Levi Myers (B) 3, Bryce Hutnick (B) 2; Aiden Robertson (PG), Achillius Vong (PG), Jimmy LaPalomento (PG), Lucas Vong (PG).

District 3 standings

AMERICAN		NATIONAL
Millville	2-0	East Vineland	2-0
Penns Grove	2-1	South Vineland	1-1
Pennsville	1-1	Elmer	1-1
Buena	1-2	West Cumberland	0-2
North Vineland	0-2

Wednesday’s Games
No games scheduled
Thursday’s Games
Pennsville at North Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
East Vineland at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Penns Grove at Millville, 5:45 p.m.
Elmer at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Millville at Pennsville, 5 p.m.
Buena at North Vineland, 5 p.m.
(End of pool play)

Locals stay alive

Pennsville, Elmer keep their hopes for advancing in the District 3 LL Tournament alive with their first wins of the tournament

DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT
Monday’s Games
Pennsville 16, Buena 6
Millville 22, North Vineland 1
Elmer 3, West Cumberland 0

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Of all the players in the Pennsville Little League All-Stars’ dugout this year, Brayden Weatherbee is the only one who knows what it’s like to win the prize they are chasing this week.

He experienced that thrill of winning a district title last year as Pennsville won its first District 3 title in five years and he’d like nothing better this hot summer than to share that feeling with the next generation of all-stars this year.

On Monday the team experienced its first win in this year’s tournament, routing a Buena team that suddenly finds itself undermanned 16-6.

As a seasoned playoff veteran at the ripe age of 12, Weatherbee holds a unique position on this year’s team and is always willing to share his wisdom when his teammates ask what it’s like. Most of what he tells them is while it’s “nothing” like the Little League regular season, keep playing your game.

His manager/father Jay Weatherbee acknowledges his son’s experience is a valuable resource, but is quick to point out there are leaders throughout the lineup.

“As a manager I rely on him,” Weatherbee said. “I rely on some of the boys I’ve had all year on (league team) Penn Tire to come through a little bit and be my leaders. They’re all 12. I tell them all the time everybody’s a leader. If we all follow the same mindset everybody is going to follow. The whole team is a leader to me.”

Brayden Weatherbee doesn’t hit a lot of home runs like some of the stars of last year’s district champions – “I’m an every once in a blue moon (home run) hitter,” he said – but he connected on a big one Monday. His three-run shot to left center in the fourth inning broke the game open and gave Pennsville a 10-5 lead. It came right after Mason Seaver broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run double.

“It was really cool and it meant a lot because I haven’t hit one in a while, so it felt really good,” Brayden said. “I just went up there to try to drive the ball, like I always do.”

Weatherbee had three hits in the game, as did Trey Sam. Pennsville pounded out 17 hits two days after being no-hit in their tournament opener. Everybody in the lineup had at least one hit or an RBI.

“The boys were a little bit better, their mindset was a little better,” manager Weatherbee said. “They’d never seen a pitcher like that kid from Penns Grove (Achillius Vong). It might have been in their head a little bit. This is more like Pennsville baseball … This is better. Now, we’ve got to keep rolling.”

The big fourth inning came immediately after the teams returned from a 15-minute heat break. Pennsville scored 11 runs and had 14 hits in the three innings after the break.

“That was a good call on (the umpires’) part,” manager Weatherbee said. “If they called that off the cuff that’s a good call because it was deadly out here. It was hot. It definitely helped. It gave us a little bit of a second life out there.”

PENNSVILLE 16, BUENA 6

Pennsville	104 542-	16	17	2
Buena	302 010-	6	7	2

WP: Chase Dolden (1-0). LP: Jude Harvey. 2B: Trey Sam (P) 2, Matthew Walker (P). HR: Brayden Weatherbee (P), Jace Nimohay (B). RBI: Mason Seaver (P) 2, Brayden Weatherbee (P) 3, Trey Sam (P) 3, Pat Galloway (P), Landon Nazar (P), Jackson Sedlak (P), Tyler Colony (P), Dante DiMarco (P); Stephen Pollock (B), Levi Myers (B), Dalton Maldonado (B), Bryce Hutnick (B).

Elmer gets a gem

ELMER – The Elmer Majors All-Stars needed a clutch performance to keep their hopes of reaching the bracket finals alive and Brandon D’Agostino delivered.

D’Agostino pitched five innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit and striking out 11, as Elmer blanked West Cumberland 3-0 for its first win of the tournament. The win sets up a do-or-die showdown with South Vineland Friday to advance from the National Division to the District 3 double-loss playoffs.

“He gave us an outstanding game; I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Elmer manager Bob Baldissero said. “He was really on.”

It was really hot, but D’Agostino was prepared. He had a cooling towel, access to a water hose and whole jar of pickle juice to get him through the day.

He struck out the side in the first, got through a bases-loaded jam in the second and had a no-hitter until two outs in the third. He then retired seven of the last eight batters he faced before giving way to Raylan Baldissero in the sixth after throwing 87 pitches.

“I just felt like I had great command of my fastball,” D’Agostino said. “It was a hot, muggy day. I sweaty, it was hot, I was tired. After the first couple innings I just want to lay down and go to bed, but I just kept pumping strikes.

“I’ve had great games this year and I’ve had not-so-great games and I think I came in from that same state I had in those great games and not those OK or bad games. I knew even if I were throwing strikes right down the middle and they were hitting me, my fielders would make up for it. I knew my hitters would hit and my fielders would field. I think as a whole we did absolutely stunning.”

The hitters rewarded their starter for his strong first inning by scoring three in the bottom of the inning for the only runs of the game. Clayton Bishop opened the game with a triple and rode home of D’Agostino’s sacrifice fly. Grayson Bingham later scored on a wild pitch with Roman Allen at the plate and Allen made it 3-0 with an RBI single.

“The bats came out hot,” Baldissero said. “Starting the game off with a triple, that’s a big deal. Just to get those three runs right off the bat in the first inning gives us the momentum for the game, it sets the tone and enables us to play our game.”

ELMER 3, WEST CUMBERLAND 0

West Cumberland	000 000-	0	1	1
Elmer	300 00x-	3	6	0

WP: Brandon D’Agostino (1-0). 3B: Clayton Bishop (E). RBI: Brandon D’Agostino (E), Roman Allen (E).

District 3 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION		NATIONAL DIVISION
Penns Grove	2-0	East Vineland	2-0
Millville	2-0	South Vineland	1-1
Pennsville	1-1	Elmer	1-1
Buena	0-2	West Cumberland	0-2
North Vineland	0-2

Tuesday’s Games
Penns Grove at Buena, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Pennsville at North Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
East Vineland at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Penns Grove at Millville, 5:45 p.m.
Elmer at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Millville at Pennsville, 5 p.m.
Buena at North Vineland, 5 p.m.
(End of pool play)

Unhittable from any distance

Penns Grove goes to 2-0 in pool play after Achillius Vong no-hits Pennsville, issue raised about mound distance from plate

DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT
Saturday’s game
Penns Grove 7, Pennsville 0
Sunday’s game
East Vineland 9, South Vineland 4
Monday’s games
Buena at Pennsville, 5:45 p.m.
North Vineland at Millville, 5:45 p.m.
West Cumberland at Elmer, 5:45 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT — On Friday, Achillius Vong showed the way he can impact a game on the bases. On Saturday, he showed the other two elements of his game that justify Penns Grove All-Stars manager Steve Raymond calling him “our Shohei Ohtani.”

Vong delivered three hits at the plate, which was three more than he allowed on the mound as he spun his first career no-hitter in beating Pennsville 7-0 in the District 3 Little League Tournament at the Carneys Point Rec Center.

“You heard what we were calling him when he was on the mound,” Raymond said. “We were calling him ‘Shohei’ and he proved it today.”

“I think it’s really cool,” Vong said of the comparison to the Dodgers’ generational star. “I think it’s a huge compliment and it really makes my day. It brings my confidence up on the baseball diamond.”

Pitching for the first time in a couple weeks, the hard-throwing right-hander threw 69 pitches over six innings, faced one batter over the minimum and struck out 12. He never threw more than 15 pitches in any inning and covered the final four innings in 39 pitches, including just five in the fourth.

He only allowed three baserunners — a leadoff error in the first and a dropped third strike in the third who was swapped out by a fielder’s choice who was erased on an inning-ending double play.

“I felt really good, my arm was great, I haven’t pitched in a while,” Vong said. “Today I was really hitting my spots and I felt really good.

“(The no-hitter) feels really good because Pennsville’s our rival and it’s my first one ever – and it makes us big in the seeding.”

The win was Penns Grove’s second in 24 hours after not having won a district tournament game in 14 years. They sit atop the American Division at 2-0 with two games left in pool play. They can all but clinch a spot in the double-elimination finals with a win at Buena Tuesday that figures to be a bullpen game.

Pennsville hosts Buena on Monday in the rescheduling of Thursday’s washed-out tournament opener.

Vong anticipated celebrating the gem with his teammates in a dogpile, but tripped himself coming off the mound after getting the final strikeout and landed in a heap in the infield.

The gem wasn’t without some controversy. Pennsville supporters questioned the distance between the mound and the plate during the game. Pennsville coach Zach Sedlack satisfied their curiosity and raised their ire by independently taking a tape measure to the mound after the game and found it to be 42 feet, 2 inches to the front of the plate — four feet short of Little League standards.

There was talk of a protest immediately upon that discovery and a lot of raised voices, but Little League Baseball has protocols in place for such action and the rules don’t allow for it after a game is completed. For it to come into play, Pennsville would have had to have acted on its suspicions at some point in the game and made its intentions known to the umpire before play continued.

Pennsville manager Jay Weatherbee said he wasn’t aware if the issue until after the game, but would do “my due diligence and see if that was a legal game.”

Riverview Sports News has reached out to District 3 administrator Tom McCarville for clarification and is awaiting a response.

Pennsville sent three pitchers to the same mound. Starter Trey Sam went four innings and kept Penns Grove off the board in the first two. First reliever Pat Galloway threw a shutout inning in the fifth, getting out of a bases-loaded jam with an inning-ending double play.

“In the long run – I’ll play devil’s advocate here – we had our chance at throwing from shorter, too, and we still didn’t capitalize on it,” Weatherbee said. “Whether you move it back five feet, that kid’s a stud. It may not make a difference, but I have to do my due diligence as the coach.”

Raymond said the mound has been at the same distance “every game we’ve played here.” It is a temporary structure, however, removed as the field also is used for softball events such as last week’s East Coast Showcase. Saturday was the 12U all-stars’ final home of the baseball tournament season, so this mound is destined to “get put away in a crate.”

For his part, Vong said pitching from Saturday’s position felt “about the same” as throwing from other mounds in his experience.

It was the first district tournament game between the neighboring rivals since pool play in 2019.

Penns Grove took the lead with three runs in the third inning. Aiden Robertson had an RBI single and Lucas Ware and Vong delivered back-to-back RBI doubles. Nolan O’Brien’s two-run single made it 6-0 in the fourth and Tanner Raymond had an RBI single in the sixth.

Penns Grove pounded 10 hits in the game.

“The more comfortable they get, the better they’re going to hit,” Raymond said. “They hit, that’s what they do, the whole lineup hits. It’s just going to start happening more and more.”

O’Brien, who wears No. 13 for all-stars as an homage to two-way star Luke Pokrovsky on his dad’s Schalick baseball team, has three straight hits and four RBIs since striking out in his first tournament at-bat.

“I just think about going up there and hitting the ball hard,” he said. “My dad always tells me to do that and I keep that mentality going up to the plate.”

PENNS GROVE 7 PENNSVILLE 0
Penns Grove	003 301 0-	7	10	1
Pennsville	000 000 0-	0	0	3

WP: Achillius Vong (1-0). LP: Trey Sam (0-1). 2B: Lucas Ware (PG), Achillius Vogt (PG). RBIS: Aiden Robertson (PG), Lucas Ware (PG), Achillius Vong (PG), Tanner Raymond (PG), Nolan O’Brien (PG) 2.

District 3 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION		NATIONAL DIVISION
Penns Grove	2-0	East Vineland	2-0
Millville	1-0	South Vineland	1-1
Pennsville	0-1	Elmer	0-1
Buena	0-1	West Cumberland	0-1
North Vineland	0-1

**Penns Grove’s Bryce Myers slides across the plate to score the second run on Nolan O’Brien’s two-run single in the fourth inning. (Screengrab from Gamechanger video)**

Band on the run

Penns Grove All-Stars aggressive on base paths, run to a walk-off win over North Vineland in District 3 LL Tournament opener, their first district win since 2011

DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT
Friday’s Games
East Vineland 4, Elmer 1 (comp. of susp. game)
Millville 9, Buena 3
Penns Grove 12, North Vineland 2
South Vineland 8, West Cumberland 6
Saturday’s Game
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 5 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Achillius Vong is a dangerous man, as much of a Shohei as a Little League all-star team can have.

At the plate. On the mound. And on the bases.

North Vineland didn’t give Vong much of a chance to hit in Friday night’s District 3 Little League Tournament opener and he didn’t pitch (that comes Saturday), but the rising seventh grader’s activity on the basepaths led directly to two runs in Penns Grove’s historic 12-2 walk-off win at the Carneys Point Rec Complex.

It was Penns Grove’s first win on the Road to Williamsport in 14 years. They had lost 29 district tournament games in a row. Their last win was a 4-3, eight-inning decision over South Vineland in the opening round of 2011 pool play.

“It feels good for me because these guys all put a ton of hard work in,” Penns Grove manager Steve Raymond said. “They’ve earned it. They definitely earned it.”

Vong walked and was hit by a pitch in his two plate appearances in the four-inning game. Each time he reached third he got North Vineland off its game with his long leads and threats to steal.

The first time, in the first inning, he came halfway down the line on every pitch and eventually forced North Vineland catcher Gianni Gordillo to make a throw that went off third baseman Damien Liberus’ glove into left field.

He did the same thing in the fourth inning. This time Gordillo ran him back to third, but left the plate uncovered and when the catcher tossed it back to the pitcher Vong broke for home and had it stolen easily. It was part of a nine-run inning that let Penns Grove walk it off.

“I like to get in their head; I want to get them rattled,” Vong said. “I want them to be scared of me and my team and once I get the chance I’m stealing home. I started doing it and then my coach got used to me doing it, so every time I get to third they tell me ‘Do your thing.’”

“He’s been playing baseball a long time and he’s a travel ball player, so he knows what to do out there,” Raymond said of his big first baseman. “He knows what he’s doing. (Third-base coach) Jeff (Robertson) will put the leash on him every once in a while to kind of reel him back in, but he basically can do what he wants because he knows what he’s doing.”

That aggressiveness on the basepaths isn’t just limited to Vong; it’s a trademark of this Penns Grove team. They scored their first six runs without the benefit of a hit and had only two hits in the game – a double by Tanner Raymond, the manager’s son, and two-run single by Nolan O’Brien, the son of Schalick baseball coach Sean O’Brien.

They kept the runs coming by reaching base in other ways, stealing bases and moving up on virtually every pitch that got away at the plate – and there were a lot of them.

“That’s why I put him (Robertson) there, because I know how aggressive he is,” Raymond said. “I play against him during the season, I know how he runs on the bases and that’s why I wanted to get him out there because he knows these kids well and he knows when to send them.

“We are going to be super aggressive on the bases. We told the boys if we call it and you get thrown out that’s on us, that’s not on you.”

Jimmy LaPalomento went the distance to get the win. He gave up one hit – a two-run single by Anthony Ebner in the third inning – walked three and struck out 11.

“We got a great version of Jimmy tonight, a great version,” Raymond said. “That’s all I could ask for what I got out him. Playing against him through the season sometimes he can get wild, but I couldn’t ask for anything more out of him. He pitched a beautiful game.”

“I just like to throw strikes, throw fast and set them down,” LaPalomento said.

EAST VINELAND 4, ELMER 1

VINELAND – Elmer returned to complete the final four innings of Thursday’s suspended game looking to make something happen and erase a one-run overnight deficit, but just couldn’t get anything going.

Manager Bob Baldissero brought starter Grayson Bingham back to pitch the resumption and he put up zeroes until the fifth when East Vineland scored on a double and one-out single. East Vineland extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth.

Bingham allowed only three hits in five innings-plus (87 pitches). Brandon D’Agostino didn’t allow a hit in his wrap-up inning.

Elmer scored its run in the sixth when Cayden Becker hit a leadoff double, went to second on an error and scored on Penn Aulffo’s grounder to second.

PENNS GROVE 12, NORTH VINELAND 2
North Vineland	002 0-	2	1	5
Penns Grove	300 9-	12	2	1

WP: Jimmy LaPalomento. LP: Chase Laspata. Scoring by Riverview Sports News.

EAST VINELAND 4, ELMER 1
East Vineland	100 012 0-	4	3	1
Elmer	000 000 1-	1	5	2

Scoring by Elmer Majors Gamechanger.

District 3 standings

AMERICAN DIVISION		NATIONAL DIVISION
Penns Grove	1-0	East Vineland	1-0
Millville	1-0	South Vineland	1-0
Pennsville	0-0	Elmer	0-1
Buena	0-1	West Cumberland	0-1
North Vineland	0-1

Photo: Penns Grove pitcher Jimmy LaPalomento delivers a pitch during his team’s 12-2 win over North Vineland.

Opening day wash out

Rain, wet grounds wash out first day of District 3 LL Tournament; Pennsville game moved to Monday, Elmer resumes Friday

DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT
Thursday’s Games
Buena at Pennsville, ppd.
Elmer at East Vineland, susp.
Friday’s Games
Elmer at East Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
North Vineland at Penns Grove, 5:45 p.m.
South Vineland at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 5 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Rain and wet conditions won on the opening night of the District 3 Little League Tournament.

Pennsville and Elmer were both scheduled to play their first games of the tournament Thursday, but the elements conspired against it.

Pennsville and Buena never got started. The skies opened about 15 minutes before the scheduled first pitch and left puddles throughout the infield. The coaches had cleaned up the basepaths, but the rain came again.

The game has been rescheduled for Monday at 5:45 p.m. That makes Pennsville’s tournament opener Saturday at Penns Grove.

At least Elmer and East Vineland got a couple innings in before the weather washed them out. They were suspended with one out in the top of the third with East Vineland leading 1-0. The game will resume at that point Friday at 5:45 p.m.

East Vineland scored a run off Elmer starter Grayson Bingham in the top of the first without the benefit of a hit. Their leadoff man reached on an error, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder to short.

Elmer, meanwhile, had two hits in the game — second-inning singles by Brandon D’Agostino and Roman Allen.

“He was doing great, throwing great,” Elmer manager Bob Baldissero said of his pitcher. “He only had that one baserunner. He was doing great.”

Both pitchers threw more than 20 pitches before the weather hit. It wasn’t immediately known if the suspension would impact their availability for Friday. Baldissero said he would bring Bingham back if the pitcher is eligible to continue.

Road to Williamsport

New-look Pennsville enters District 3 Little League Tournament as defending champions; Pennsville, Elmer, Penns Grove representing Salem County

DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT
Thursday’s Games
Buena at Pennsville, 5:45 p.m.
Elmer at East Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Friday’s Games
North Vineland at Penns Grove, 5:45 p.m.
South Vineland at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 5 p.m.
Full schedule below

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Jay Weatherbee is a new manager with a new team stepping into some pretty big shoes. But instead of shying away from the legacy that went before him, the Pennsville Little League 12U All-Star manager is embracing it and looking to expand it.

Pennsville goes into the District 3 LL Tournament that starts tonight as the defending champion. They open their defense at home against Buena.

The Elmer LL All-Stars also play Thursday, traveling to East Vineland. Penns Grove (PG/CP/PED) is the third Salem County team in the nine-team field and its tournament opener is Friday against North Vineland at the Carneys Point Rec Complex.

Pennsville won its first district title since 2019 last year (and 10th all time) with a robust offense that batted .324 at a team in nine games with 69 runs, 69 hits and belted 12 home runs. Weatherbee wants to keep the line moving.

“We always want to keep the good Pennsville tradition going here,” he said. “I do embrace (what they did last year) a little bit. I embrace it, but I also consider it another chapter in the book. That chapter was last year. We did good. They got the banner. Now it gives me something to strive for with these boys, but it’s a totally different chapter. We’re going to write our own stories this year.”

Only one player returns from last year’s team, Weatherbee’s son Brayden, but the manager had many of the players on the 10U All-Stars. While last year’s team was long on hitting and short on pitching depth, this year’s team has “probably eight or nine who can throw” with “four maybe five” who have shown “real starter quality.”

That’s not to say they lack hitting. Trey Sam and Brayden Weatherbee finished 1-2 in the Pennsville LL’s home run derby.

“Last year they won districts and that’s not a very easy task,” Jay Weatherbee said. “I would just like to follow in the footsteps and start there, but my bigger sights would be, of course, to try to better that. Last year was fun, but, of course like every coach wants to, I’ve got to better that.”

You could call the Elmer team this year’s Killer B’s. Seven of the 12 players (and two of the three coaches) have a B in either their first and last name and according to manager Bob Baldissero, “collectively all those boys have been the driving force on their individual (league) teams.”

In the league championship, Raylan Baldissero threw six shutout innings with 13 strikeouts to force a winner-take-all game and in the clincher Grayson Bingham went 5 1/3 before running out of pitches and Westen Baldissero closed it out. Brandon D’Agostino threw five strong innings for the opposition in the deciding game.

D’Agostino (two) and Raylan Baldissero (one) hit homers during the season.

“If they play to their ability I think we should be in the running to advance,” manager Baldissero said. “I think we have a good pitching staff and hitting-wise I think we’ll be OK as well. We’re just taking one game and at a time and hoping to advance. We’ll take them as they come.”

DISTRICT 3 ALL-STAR ROSTERS
PENNSVILLE
MANAGER: Jay Weatherbee. COACHES: Gino DiMarco, Patrick Galloway, Zack Sedlack.
ROSTER: Tyler Colomy, Dante DiMarco, Chase Doldan, Pat Galloway, Ayden Harris, Jayson Hofacker, Landon Nazar, Trey Sam, Mason Seaver, Jackson Sedlak, Matthew Walker, Brayden Weatherbee.

ELMER
MANAGER: Bob Baldissero. COACHES: Anthony D’Agostino, Bob Baldissero Sr.
ROSTER: Roman Allen, Penn Aulffo, Raylan Baldissero, Westen Baldissero, Cayden Becker, Grayson Bingham, Clayton Bishop, Logan Both, Ryan Coombs, Brandon D’Agostino, Connor Harding, Cash Williams.

N.J. DISTRICT 3 LITTLE LEAGUE
AMERICAN DIVISION: Buena, Millville, North Vineland, Penns Grove, Pennsville
NATIONAL DIVISION: East Vineland, Elmer, South Vineland, West Cumberland

June 19
Buena at Pennsville
Elmer at East Vineland
June 20
North Vineland at Penns Grove
South Vineland at West Cumberland
June 21
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 5 p.m.
June 22
East Vineland at South Vineland, 5 p.m.
June 23
North Vineland at Millville
West Cumberland at Elmer
June 24
Penns Grove at Buena
June 26
Pennsville at North Vineland
East Vineland at West Cumberland
June 27
Penns Grove at Millville
Elmer at South Vineland
June 28
Millville at Pennsville
Buena at North Vineland
FINALS
June 30
At Elmer LL
G1: American 1 vs. National 2
G2: National 1 vs. American 2, 8 p.m.
July 1
At Millville LL
G3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
G4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 8 p.m.
July 2
At North Vineland LL
G5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m.
July 3
At South Vineland
G6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
July 5
At South Vineland
If necessary, 7 p.m.
Winner to Section IV Tournament in District 15 at Deptford Twp. July 11
State Tournament Deptford LL, July 23-28 (regional Bristol, Conn. July 31-Aug. 8)

SECTION IV TOURNAMENT
(Double-loss elimination)
(Opening games)
July 11
District 3 vs. District 16, 6 p.m.
District 14 vs. District 15, 8 p.m.
July 12
District 3-District 16 winner vs. District 13, 5 p.m.

Long time coming

Schalick dumps top-seeded Audubon to win first South Jersey Group I baseball title in 33 years, grabbed early lead, turned back threat in seventh

GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
Thursday
South: Schalick 4, Audubon 3
Central: Middlesex 7, Point Pleasant Beach 1
North I: Midland Park 1, Wallkill Valley 0
North II: Brearley 8, Verona 0
STATE SEMIFINALS
Monday
Schalick (22-2) at Middlesex (21-5)
Brearley (15-9) at Midland Park (20-8-1)
STATE FINALS
Saturday
At Veterans Park, Hamilton, 1 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

AUDUBON — “Somewhere” in the display cases that line the hallways at Schalick High School there’s a 33-year-old trophy gathering dust commemorating one of the greatest accomplishments in the school’s sports history.

But it’s been in there for so long the folks who regularly walk those halls aren’t really sure where it is.

Not to worry. There’s a new, shinier version about to go in the case and everyone will know where it will be.

The Cougars won their first South Jersey Group I baseball title since 1992 Thursday when they held off top-seeded Audubon 4-3 in a game that really was all it was cracked up to be. They now travel to Central champion Middlesex (21-5) in the state semifinals Monday.

“This is the main goal the whole entire year,” starting pitcher Luke Pokrovsky said. “This was the first thing (talked about) when we first walked in the first practice of the year. After beating Woodstown (in the semifinals) we knew we could do it.”

“We’ve worked hard for it and we definitely deserved it,” shortstop Eli Cummings added.

The underdog Cougars (22-2), now the winningest baseball team in school history, a distinction they wrestled from that 1992 team, took the lead early and held it the rest of the game, although they had to survive some seventh-inning Green Wave drama to make it happen.

Pokrovsky once again was brilliant. The senior left-hander gave up four hits and struck out 12, including his 100th of season, and seemed to thrive on the jibes coming from the other side, throwing harder as the game went on.

He wanted to go the distance, but had to come out in the seventh after 113 pitches and Audubon getting the first two batters on with the top of the order coming up. Cougars coach Sean O’Brien went with his most experienced option, bringing in Lucas D’Agostino from right field to close it out, and the senior right-hander didn’t flinch.

He induced dangerous leadoff man Tyler Wiltsey to hit a ball up the middle that that Cummings turned into a double play – and more importantly held the lead runner and tying run at third – and got Nick Kalogiros on a foul pop to first baseman Rico Hatz to end the game.

What made Wiltsey even more dangerous in that situation is he took Pokrovsky deep for a two-run homer in the third that cut Schalick’s lead to 4-3. “He got me pretty good,” Pokrovsky said.

“At first I was relieved because that guy showcased his power early in the game so I was relieved as soon as he hit it and it was on the ground,” D’Agostino said. “It’s been this way the whole year: I trust my defense completely. Once I saw that ball up the middle on the ground and I saw Eli was in perfect position I knew what we had going for us.”

“As soon as I knew that ball was hit to me I knew I was turning that double play,” Cummings said. “Coach OB prepares us for those kind of moments. I knew as soon as it was hit to me, I’ve gotta move. That kid going down the line is quick and he made a close play so I knew I had to come up throwing.”

Hatz called it “a beautiful ball” that Cummings delivered to first.

“I was over at first base praying for a double play so our prayers were answered,” Hatz said. “And to get that final out, it was a feeling of victory.”

The Cougars took a 3-1 lead with three runs off Kalogiros in the second from the bottom third of the lineup. Hatz had a game-tying RBI double, J.T. Fleming dropped the go-ahead RBI single into short left field and Cummings made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly. They are the 7-8-9 hitters in the Schalick order.

“That’s been kind of like our M.O.,” O’Brien said. “It’s like if the top of the order isn’t doing anything, the bottom of the order does it. It’s been happening all year. We beat some good teams. We beat Cherry Hill West and Rancocas Valley and those guys carried us in those games. That’s why we’re so good because 1 through 9 we compete.”

The Cougars added what proved to be the winning run in the third on D’Agostino’s sacrifice fly after Jamari Whitley doubled Evan Sepers to third. Whitley and Sepers both had two hits in the game.

The coach of that 1992 sectional championship team, Chuck Tortella, was at the game and gave O’Brien some words of encouragement beforehand, words said to be similar to the colorful message Tortella gave his team before they beat Audubon in the ‘92 game.

O’Brien had been to this stage of the playoffs twice before with the Cougars (2019 and 2021) but came up empty both times. This time, they went home celebrating and carried a shiny new piece of hardware for the trophy case with them.

“It’s been a long time coming,” O’Brien said. “We kind of went into those (other two) games not wanting to lose; today, these guys showed up ready to win. They were going to take it.”

“I like the history of the game and especially in my own high school,” D’Agostino said. “I’m very glad we could put some more hardware back in the trophy case and when they look at that team they can say, hey, that’s pretty good.”

Schalick (22-2)	031 000 0-	4	7	2
Audubon (20-7)	102 000 0-	3	4	0

LUKE POKROVSKY, Lucas D’Agostino (7) and Ricky Watt. NIK KALAGIROS and Trent Bantle. 2B: Jamari Whitley (S), Rico Hatz (S). HR: Tyler Wiltsey (A)

Beating the clock

Wednesday roundup: Woodstown’s 4×800 relay qualifies for nationals at Meet of Champions; Pennsville announces Hall of Fame Class, names Athletes of the Year

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSAUKEN – The Woodstown 4×800 relay team had one job in Wednesday’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions and they got it done.

Winning the race would have been a nice get, but the Wolverines were focused on posting a time that would get them in the New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field later this month.

They got it done, even with their anchor a little under the weather. The Group I champion quartet of Karson Chew, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas and Josh Crawford finished fifth in the MOC, but their 7:54.84 set a new Group I record and got them into the nationals.

“One thing those guys won’t do is shy away from competition,” Wolverines coach Reggie Teemer said. “They feed off it.”

Salem County had athletes in 12 events at the all-group meet. Salem’s Anthony Parker had the best individual finish, placing fourth in the boys long jump with a best of 23-5. Crawford also finished seventh in the 800, Schalick’s David Stewart was eighth in the 400 hurdles and Cougars’ 4×100 relay team (Reggie Allen Jr., Michael Eberl, Zaeshawn Mills, David Stewart) finished sixth.

Woodstown’s 4×800 time was more than four seconds better than their winning time in last weekend’s Group I championship meet. They were just shy of a provisional qualifying time for the nationals, but wanted to run a race in their last chance to get in that would leave no doubt.

Chew led them out in 1:59.50. Marino kept them on pace with a 2:02.4. Lucas set them up with a 1:58.45. And Crawford, running with a “minor” cough and fever that “slightly impacted my running,” brought it home with two laps in the 50s and a 1:54.46. Christian Brothers Academy won the race with a collective 7:48.55.

“We came very mentally prepared to break our previous record in the 4×8 and qualify for the New Balance Nationals and I wasn’t going to let a sickness get in the way of that opportunity for my teammates,” Crawford said. “ I was proud of all my teammates for running this race as if it was our last and thankfully earning another opportunity because of the combined culmination of our efforts to give our senior, Cole, a sendoff for the record books.”

It was a busy day for the junior. He ran in three events. He ran 1:53.83 to get on the podium in the individual 800 and ran a leg on the 4×400 relay.

Here are the Salem County results from the Meet of Champions:

MEET OF CHAMPIONS
At Pennsauken HS
GIRLS
1600: 12. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:05.56
3200: 21. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick 10:58.85
Shot Put: T-20. Tatiyonna Crawford, Pennsville 34-6
Pole Vault: T-10. Megan Morris, Pennsville 10-6
BOYS
4×800: 5. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas, Josh Crawford) 7:54.84
400 Hurdles: 8. David Stewart, Schalick 54.53
4×100: 6. Schalick (Reggie Allen Jr., Michael Eberl, Zaeshawn Mills, David Stewart) 42.08
800: 7. Josh Crawford, Woodstown 1:53.83; 20. Cole Lucas, Woodstown 1:58.23
4×400: 21. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Kyle Reitz, Anthony Costello, Josh Crawford) 3:25.85
Javelin: 14. Connor Ayars, Pennsville 165-0
Long Jump: 4. Anthony Parker, Salem 23-5
Triple Jump: 26. Bryan Garlic, Penns Grove 41-4

Pennsville tabs Hall class

PENNSVILLE – Five decorated athletes spanning five sports and four decades, three successful head coaches and two state champion teams will comprise the 2025 class that will be inducted into the Pennsville Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

The class was announced at the school’s annual awards assembly Wednesday night. It will be formally inducted in ceremonies at the school Oct. 7.

The class includes athletes Tom Ridgway (Class of 1978), HJ Lopes (’79), Lisa Doran (’86), Dannielle Dolbow-Darby (’95) and Ashley Minch (’08); coaches Ryan Wood (football/baseball), Jack Hathaway (soccer) and Dan LaMont (tennis/wrestling); and the 2005 state champion girls tennis and baseball teams.

“The Hall of Fame Committee did a wonderful job spanning several decades in putting together this year’s class,” Eagles athletics director Jamy Thomas said. “We have a wide variety of sports recognized with our inductees from field hockey, baseball, softball, soccer and tennis. The athletes in this group may have had one sport in which they truly shined, but each of them were great all-around athletes.

“In regards to the coaches being honored this year I have had the opportunity to be taught by Coach Hathaway as a PMHS student and work alongside Coach Wood and Coach LaMont. They are a group of great coaches and even more importantly are great people who are wonderful role models for our student-athletes.”

At the same assembly, potential future Hall of Famers Megan Morris and Connor Ayars were recognized as the school’s PEPPA Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Morris is a multiple state champion pole vaulter and tennis player, while Ayars is football/track standout. Both competed at the Meet of Champions prior to attending the ceremonies.

**Megan Morris (L) and Connor Ayars were named Pennsville’s PEPPA Scholar-Athletes of the Year.**

TCC All-Stars

Here are the Tri-County Conference all-star teams for the Classic and Diamond divisions as selected by the coaches

Baseball

POS	CLASSIC FIRST TEAM	CLASSIC SECOND TEAM
P	Luke Wood, Pennsville	Brian Cuniff, Wildwood
P	Aiden Stranahan, Pitman	Mark Manera, Clayton
C	Jake Sharrow, Pitman	Connor Starn, Pennsville
IF	Hudson Rue, Pitman	Logan Streitz, Pennsville
IF	Nick Watson, Pitman	Peyton O’Brien, Pennsville
IF	Cohen Petrutz, Pennsville	Chase Davis, Salem
IF	Trevor Troiano, Wildwood	Justin Delaney, Clayton
OF	Jackson Austin, Pitman	Dane Collum, Pitman
OF	Chase Burchfield, Pennsville	Mason O’Brien, Pennsville
OF	Jeff Wagner, Pennsville	Jameson Emerle, Clayton

POS	DIAMOND FIRST TEAM	DIAMOND SECOND TEAM
P	Tyler Wood, Overbrook	Aaron Foote, Woodstown
P	Lucas D’Agostino, Schalick	Jack Holladay, Woodstown
C	Gavin Dillard, Glassboro	Ricky Watt, Schalick
IF	Lou Hanna, Overbrook	Evan Glassy, Schalick
IF	Cooper Hines, Overbrook	Jude Dempster, Glassboro
IF	Jamari Whitley, Schalick	Joey Tongue, Glassboro
IF	Elijah Crespo, Penns Grove	Brennan Crosse, Glassboro
OF	Rocco String, Woodstown	Mike Romano, Overbrook
OF	Charlie Snyder, Overbrook	Caden Lawless, Overbrook
OF	Luke Pokrovsky, Schalick	Evan Sepers, Schalick

Softball

POS	CLASSIC FIRST TEAM	CLASSIC SECOND TEAM
P	Jessica Bretz, Pitman	Madelyn McGinn, Gloucester Cath.
P	Savannah Brewer-Palverento, Pennsville	Emma Contreras, Wildwood
C	Kylie Harris, Pennsville	Alexus Paden, Clayton
IF	Makenzie Widener, Pennsville	Ayanna Davis, Clayton
IF	Maya Hutchinson, Gloucester Cath.	Avery Watson, Pennsville
IF	Rosalina Pereira, Clayton	Maura Quinn, Pitman
IF	Graillyn Weber, Pennsville	Julia Ennis, Wildwood
OF	Lily Edwards, Pennsville	Sawyer Simmons, Pennsville
OF	Julianna Aguilar, Clayton	Madison Peek, Pitman
OF	Kaitlyn Capalbo, Gloucester Cath.	Samantha Scutt, Pitman

POS	DIAMOND FIRST TEAM	DIAMOND SECOND TEAM
P	Addi Shimp, Schalick	Taylor Adcock, Glassboro
P	Leah Clark, Woodstown	Layla Perez, Overbrook
C	Scarlett Saicic, Glassboro	Lila Bowling, Woodstown
OF	Sienna Kudless, Glassboro	Marissa Rode, Glassboro
OF	Gianna Simon, Overbrook	Cecelia Mitchell, Overbrook
OF	Ellie Wygand, Woodstown	Shyann Higinbotham, Woodstown
IF	Olivia VanAcker, Schalick	Ava Landolt, Overbrook
IF	Cloe Elliott, Schalick	Danica Maggi, Overbrook
IF	Aubrie Rennie, Woodstown	Emma Schoch, Glassboro
IF	Alaina Dufresne, Overbrook	Marissa Pasquarello, Glassboro

Tennis

POS	CLASSIC FIRST TEAM	CLASSIC SECOND TEAM
S	Gabe Schneider, Pennsville	Maddox Efelis, Pennsville
S	George Gould, Schalick	Brody Wiggins, Pennsville
S	Chase Fronczkiewicz, Clayton	Rocky Monticolo, Schalick
D	Kaden Barnes, Schalick	Carter Willis, Pennsville
D	Cayden Brzozowski, Schalick	Ian Peacock, Pennsville
D	Lucas Cooksey, Pennsville	David Santana, Schalick
D	Sawyer Humpreys, Pennsville	Anthony McGrath, Schalick

POS	DIAMOND FIRST TEAM	DIAMOND FIRST TEAM
S	Zeph Kell, Delsea	Mohammad Sheyam, Highland
S	Lucius Davis, Deptford	Bradyn Gee, Deptford
S	Drew Stengel, Woodstown	Eli Croce, Delsea
D	Luke Shaw, Woodstown	Alan Marcos, Overbrook
D	Mason Shimp, Woodstown	Gabe Martinez, Overbrook
D	Jacob Bramble, Delsea	Ben Stengel, Woodstown
D	Jude Thompson, Delsea	Nicholas DiTeodoro, Woodstown

Boys Golf

CLASSIC FIRST TEAM	CLASSIC SECOND TEAM
Mikey Joyce, Gloucester Cath.	A.J. Beach, Gloucester Cath.
Joey Zubert, Pitman	Robbie Ricardi, Gloucester Cath.
Owen Boulton, Pitman	Luke Driscoll, Pitman
Jake Bowen-Ashwin, Pitman	Jackson Venuto, Clayton
Max Pappalardo, Pitman	Burke Fotzsimmons, Wildwood
Gavin Burns, Wildwood	Chase Ayars, Salem Tech

DIAMOND FIRST TEAM	DIAMOND SECOND TEAM
Jaxon Weber, Schalick	Riley Bowman, Pennsville
Seth Fisher, Schalick	Trevor Hann, Pennsville
Erich Lipovsky, Woodstown	Jeffrey Boyd, Overbrook
Anthony Sepers, Schalick	Chase Pepper, Cumberland
Grant Prater, Woodstown	Michael Nelson, Schalick
Joey Olbrich, Woodstown	Jack Bucksar, Woodstown

Boys Track

EVT	CLASSIC FIRST TEAM	CLASSIC SECOND TEAM
100	Jason Stewart, Clayton	Josiel Figueroa Marrero, Clayton
200	Willie Weathers, Clayton	Jamel Lemon-Ward, Gloucester Cath.
400	Alexander Osayemi, Clayton	Xavier McGriff, Salem
800	Wyatt Evans, Clayton	Liam Edelman, Pitman
1600	Jake Bowen-Ashwin, Pitman	Samuel Cooke, Salem
3200	Rhys Blackman, Pitman	Maximus Weng, Pitman
100H	Anthony Parker, Salem	Timothy Gregory, Salem
400H	Jerry Seals, Salem	Lucas Razze, Pitman
HJ	Dayvon Williams, Wildwood	Giani Jackson, Wildwood
LJ	Omarion Pierce, Salem	Justice Santiago, Wildwood
TJ	Donovan Weathers, Salem	Mission Barnes, Salem
PV	Gradin Buzby, Salem	Duncan Freeman, Clayton
SP	Pedro Ibarra, Clayton	Torryn Ransome, Salem
DIS	Nate Newcomb, Pitman	Giovani Talavera Rosas, Salem
JAV	Wyatt Irvine, Salem	Jovani Rios, Salem
4×400	Clayton	Salem

EVT	DIAMOND FIRST TEAM	DIAMOND SECOND TEAM
100	Xavier Sabb, Glassboro	Colin McGlinn, Pennsville
200	Zaeshawn Mills, Schalick	Axcel Bailey, Overbrook
400	John Froehlich, Overbrook	Kyle Reitz, Woodstown
800	Josh Crawford, Woodstown	Steve Chomo, Schalick
1600	Ty Blackman, Glassboro	Cole Lucas, Woodstown
3200	Joey Saicic, Glassboro	Jacob Marino, Woodstown
100H	Dayshaun Day, Glassboro	Knowledge Young, Penns Grove
400H	Mekhi Parker, Glassboro	Bryan Garlic, Penns Grove
HJ	Amari Sabb, Glassboro	Reggie Allen, Schalick
LJ	Alex Adeleye, Glassboro	Jaiden Mitchell, Overbrook
TJ	David Stewart, Schalick	Moses Robles, Glassboro
PV	Daniel Adams, Glassboro	Salvatore Longo, Schalick
SP	Kyle Williams, Glassboro	Sheldon Goldsborogh, Schalick
DIS	Ethan McLean, Schalick	Aiden Tulane, Woodstown
JAV	Connor Ayars, Pennsville	Nyzier Wonder, Schalick
4×400	Woodstown	Penns Grove

Girls Track

EVT	CLASSIC FIRST TEAM	CLASSIC SECOND TEAM
100	Miyana Johnson, Clayton	Jaiyoni Yates, Clayton
200	Raniyah Parsons-Smith, Salem	Gabrielle Pernell-Lipsey, Clayton
400	Leila Ortiz, Clayton	Molly Wiśniewski, Pitman
800	Amanda Bradley, Pitman	Antonia Yucis, Gloucester Cath.
1600	Macie McCracken, Wildwood	Samantha Dale, Salem
3200	Lauren Streck, Pitman	Mackenzie Whilden, Pitman
100H	Anna Gallo, Clayton	Tahirah Davenport-White, Salem
400H	Audrey Boggs, Salem	Carly Razze, Pitman
HJ	Unique Nance, Salem	Zyonnah Forman, Salem
LJ	MaKayla Smith, Salem	Lily Atkinson, Wildwood
TJ	Alaina Williams, Pitman	Hanna Keefe, Pitman
PV	Kashira Patterson, Salem	Tatiana Miller, Salem
SP	Ava Rodgers, Salem	MarJziah Bundy, Salem
DIS	Destinee Williams, Clayton	Jocelyn O’Brien, Pitman
JAV	Rainelle Blocker, Clayton	Megan Wehlen, Pitman
4×400	Clayton	Salem

EVT	DIAMOND FIRST TEAM	DIAMOND SECOND TEAM
100	Tamia Smith, Glassboro	Kezia Brackett, Glassboro
200	Gia Martellacci, Schalick	Missouri Pratt, Overbrook
400	Rylee Clark, Overbrook	Samantha Sterner, Woodstown
800	Lillian Norman, Woodstown	Kelis Coston, Glassboro
1600	Jordan Hadfield, Schalick	Helen Lillia, Schalick
3200	Abby Marino, Woodstown	Anabel Schaal, Woodstown
100H	Lia Covely, Woodstown	Gabriella Simonini, Schalick
400H	London Banks, Overbrook	Sarah Seiden, Woodstown
HJ	Ashley Armstrong, Glassboro	Kami Casiano, Woodstown
LJ	Phoebe Alward, Schalick	Emma Perry, Woodstown
TJ	Jaelynn Jarmon, Schalick	Onye Peoples, Overbrook
PV	Megan Morris, Pennsville	Elizabeth Mann, Glassboro
SP	Heaven Franklin, Glassboro	Zoey Ceasar, Penns Grove
DIS	Sunny Moore, Glassboro	Virginia Tarasevich, Glassboro
JAV	Allyson Green, Schalick	Nevaeh Robinson, Schalick
4×400	Schalick	Overbrook

Girls Lacrosse

POS	SJILL AMERICAN FIRST TEAM	SJILL AMERICAN SECOND TEAM
G	Shelby Foote, Woodstown	Mackenzie Keleher, Haddonfield
M	Riley Austin, Haddonfield	Callie Warner, Clearview
M	Delaney Walker, Woodstown	Haley Brown, Kingsway
M	Maddie Eastlack, W. Deptford	Riley Walsh, W. Deptford
M	Brooke Schultz, Haddonfield	Jaime Deal, Woodstown
D	Mia Borodin, Clearview	Marley Nate, Clearview
D	Fiona Keenan, Haddonfield	Emily Coyle, Clearview
D	Sienna Struzynski, W. Deptford	Elizabeth Daly, Woodstown
O	Grace Farrell, Haddonfield	Sofia Conrey, Haddonfield (D)
O	Lauren Hamblin, Haddonfield	Reese Remaly, Clearview
O	Phoebe O’Rourke, Kingsway	Riley MacHenry, Clearview
O	Rhea Remaly, Clearview	CeCe Batson, Haddonfield
O	Emma Morgan, Woodstown	Marlina Kadar, Haddonfield

Boys Lacrosse

POS	SJILL AMERICAN FIRST TEAM	SJILL AMERICAN SECOND TEAM
A	Keegan Borkowski, Kingsway	R.J. Sciarrotta, Clearview
A	Owen Dougherty, Kingsway	Jake Borkowski, Washington Twp.
A	Myles Malone, Washington Twp.	Aidan Batterman, Williamstown
A	Robert Donahue, Woodstown	Michael Kugler, Clearview
D	J.D. Seidel, Clearview	Dane Jespersen, Kingsway
D	Cole DeNick, Kingsway	Ethan Wechter, Washington Twp.
D	Dominic Hibbs, Kingsway	Cole Aquino, Washington Twp.
D	Joseph Kopaczewski, Williamstown	Walter Carter, Woodstown
G	John Mentee, Kingsway	Joseph Hatefi, Williamstown (FOGO)
LSM	Ryan Glenn Kingsway	Jake Devereaux, Washington Twp. (G)
M	T.J. Mills, Clearview	Garrett Leyman, Woodstown (M/L/D)
M	Patrick Civitarese, Kingsway	Mason Bryan, Kingsway
M	Robbie Finnegan, Washington Twp.	Nicholas Maccariella, Williamstown
M/F	Thomas Dipietro, Kingsway	Parker Reese, Washington Twp.

Step-Up Soph

Schalick blanks Woodstown again, this time behind Whitley’s six strong innings, to reach SJ Group I finals

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I BASEBALL
Semifinals
Audubon 4, Maple Shade 1
Schalick 8, Woodstown 0
Finals
Thursday
No. 2 Schalick (21-2) at No. 1 Audubon (20-7), 4 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — Schalick coach Sean O’Brien had a lot of options Tuesday if the idea was to save ace Luke Pokrovsky for Audubon in the South Jersey Group I championship game.

Everybody else was relatively fresh, but O’Brien went with the youngest option in a big game – sophomore over senior – and Jamari Whitley came through like a seasoned veteran.

The hard-throwing right-hander, making his first career playoff mound start and second appearance of this postseason, calmly gave the Cougars six strong innings, setting them up for an 8-0 win over Woodstown for a spot in the SJ Group I finals.

The second-seeded Cougars (21-2) now travel to top-seeded Audubon (20-7) Thursday for the sectional final everyone expected to see.

“Lucas (D’Agostino) is a guy who attacks hitters, gets ahead of guys and throws strikes consistently, but Jamari has really tough stuff to hit,” O’Brien explained. “When he’s on, he is really, really good. We put him up against Cherry Hill West (in mid-April) and the way he stepped up in that game that kind of just showed me he was ready for whatever moment we needed him to throw in.

“I know he was nervous going into it, but once things get going, he’s a competitor. He’s been consistent in all aspects of it — hitting, pitching, fielding — and I have all the confidence in the world in him. You can trust him out there. That’s why we put him in this situation today.”

Whitley had plenty of time to prepare for the start. O’Brien likes to give his pitchers ample warning and told him Saturday he was getting the ball. He didn’t believe it at first, but the coach said he wasn’t kidding and he trusted him. He was the Cougars’ first playoff starting pitcher not named Pokrovsky since June 2022.

He threw 102 pitches, allowed just one hit and struck out a career-high 11. He gave up a leadoff single and walk to the first two Woodstown hitters of the game, then retired 15 of the next 16 he faced, including 10 in a row at one point. The Wolverines loaded the bases on him in the sixth, but he got out of it with a fly to shallow left that froze the runners and his final strikeout of the game.

He even drove in the Cougars’ first run with a first-inning double. He also walked and scored in their three-run third.

“I woke up this morning and felt really good,” he said. “During school I had a little nerves, it was one of the biggest (starts) of my career, but after the first inning I shook it off and kept going. It was just trusting my pitches and everything I had.”

“He’s done outstanding this year,” Pokrovsky said. “His head is always up. He worked off of last year and now he’s unbeatable.”

Pokrovsky came in behind him and threw 12 pitches in the seventh, using the outing as his typical tune-up right before his next start.

“We’ve done it all year, he’s done it all his career,” O’Brien said. “I knew he was going to ask me, but I talked to him like ‘Do you want to throw the last inning?’ and he said, ‘Aw, please, yes.’ He’s a guy who needs to throw to be ready for his next start. That’s how he is … so that’s why we did it that way.”

In three games this season (19 innings) the Cougars’ pitching staff has held Woodstown to just two hits and no runs. They’ve given up just two runs in the whole playoffs. Pokrovsky threw a five-inning perfect game at them in his first start of the year.

The Cougars have gotten strong pitching all year long. They haven’t even given up 100 hits this year. After Tuesday’s shutout – their sixth of the season – their team ERA dropped to 1.35. Woodstown, meanwhile, batted just .255 as a team.

“Our pitching has been phenomenal,” O’Brien said. “I was comparing our stats from last year and a lot of our offensive stats aren’t as good as they were last year but our pitching stats are not even close. What they’ve done with whoever’s throwing they give us a chance to compete and especially they’ve stepped up against Woodstown.”

Wolverines coach Marc DeCastro said his team was prepared to face any of the three –Pokrovsky, Whitley or D’Agostino, who they hadn’t seen this year – but they just couldn’t find any offense. Caiden Spinelli had their only hit, a single leading off the game. They had just six baserunners.

“It surprised me just in the fact if they weren’t going to throw Luke that he hadn’t started in a while, but either way they have three pitchers who are all good so we were ready for whichever one happened to throw,” DeCastro said. “He didn’t walk us and he did a good job after the first two batters of settling in; in that situation that could’ve gone a lot of different ways and the game could’ve been a little bit different.

“When you don’t get hits and they’re up 4-, 5-nothing, it’s a lot different than if we would’ve kept it 1 and 2. That was our thing all year. In the two (previous playoff) games alone we scored three runs. Our thing was going to have to be we were going to have to play really clean games and pitch really well and we didn’t play a clean game today.”

Woodstown (16-11)	000 000 0-	0	1	5
Schalick (21-2)	103 121 x-	8	7	2

WP: Jamari Whitley (W), Luke Pokrovsky (7) and Ricky Watt. LP: Aaron Foote (L), Rocco String (4), Michael Valente (4), Jack Holladay (5) and Ty Coblentz. 2B: Luke Pokrovsky (S), Jamari Whitley (S), Enrico Hatz (S).

GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
Thursday’s Games
North I: Wallkill Valley (17-6) at Midland Park (19-8-1)
North II: Brearily (14-9) at Verona (19-6)
Central: Point Pleasant Beach (20-7) at Middlesex (20-5)
South: Schalick (21-2) at Audubon (20-7)

STATE SEMIFINALS
June 9
North I at North II
South at Central

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
June 14
Veterans Park, Hamilton, 1 p.m.