Here are the scores and highlights from Tuesday’s Salem County sports calendar; stories will be updated
BASEBALL
Penns Grove 11, Camden Eastside 2: Red Devils keeps marching towards a playoff spot.
Schalick 5, Overbrook 0: Luke Pokrovsky throws a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts.
Pitman 4, Pennsville 3: Pitman scores two in bottom of seventh, getting winning run on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch with the bases loaded.
Salem 10, Pleasantville 10: Andrew May homered for the Rams.
Woodstown 18, Glassboro 3: Andrew Pedrick collected his 100th career hit as the Wolverines clinched a share of the Diamond Division title.
SOFTBALL
Overbrook 4, Schalick 3: Cecelia Mitchell singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to cap the Rams’ two-run rally. Taylor Sparks and Lucianna Virga had two hits each for Schalick.
Pennsville 18, Pitman 0: Kylie Harris hits 2 homers and drives in seven runs, senior Bella Rappa hits her first high school homer on Senior Night and Savannah Palverento throws three more no-hit innings
Woodstown 5, Glassboro 0: Tulana Mingin goes 4-for-4, sets Woodstown all-time hits record (132). Wolverines score 26th straight Tri-County division win and clinch at least a share of the Diamond Division title.
BOYS TENNIS
SCHALICK 5, GLASSBORO 0
George Gould (S) def. Rowan Somdhal-Sands, 6-0, 6-0
Jesus Espinoza (S) def. Jesus Lopez, 6-0, 6-0
Connor O’Toole )S) def. Kileche Umbaofu, 6-0, 6-0
Rocky Monticolo-David Santana (S) won by forfeit
Kaden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski (S) won by forfeit
Records: Glassboro 0-13, Schalick 11-6.
PITMAN 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Maddox Marker (Pi) def. Alex Ramirez Martinez, 6-0, 6-0
Chase Rollins (Pi) def. Angel Perez Herrera, 6-0, 6-0
Cole Kelly (Pi) def. Adam Gonzalez, 6-0, 6-0
Charlie Duffield-Ethan Loudner (Pi) def. Anthony Pacheco-Jose Lima, 6-3, 6-2
Matthew Bauman-Dom Saffioti (Pi) def. Kevin Olivos-Edgar Ortega, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Penns Grove 3-8, Pitman 14-6.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown 14, Mainland 10
Category: BASEBALL
Push for the playoffs
Penns Grove baseball starts its run towards a playoff spot, Schalick’s Sparks collects 100th career hit, Pennsville’s Palverento spins second straight no-hitter and more
MONDAY BASEBALL
Penns Grove 13, LEAP 3
Pennsville 9, Salem 1
Cumberland 2, Schalick 0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Everyone knows the surest way to jinx a no-hitter is to talk about a no-hitter while a no-hitter is going on.
Penns Grove freshman Dylan Hyatt was cruising along with a no-no two outs into the third inning Monday against LEAP Academy. No sooner had somebody around the dugout slipped and said something about the gem then – BOOM – it was gone.
Hyatt gave up a solid double to Dwayne Perez and coach Chuck Weigle went to get him, not for any punishment but to save him to pitch later in what is a big week for the Red Devils’ playoff hopes. Luckily, they had a big lead at the time and went on to win 13-3 in five innings.
Hyatt threw 49 pitches, setting him up to be able to pitch against LEAP again Wednesday at Rutgers Camden. He struck out five and didn’t walk any, but hit three. He faced three hitters in the first thanks to a pickoff, walked the leadoff man in the second and then struck out the next three.
“I pulled him right after he gave up the hit to save his arm for the rest of the week,” Weigle said. “He’s got potential to be good., the potential’s there. He’s one of the better arms that I’ve seen as a freshman coming through this school in the past few years.”
It’s a big win for the Red Devils (3-12) to start a big week. They have eyes on a South Jersey Group I playoff spot and they’re currently No. 17 in power points – 11 behind cutline-riding Clayton – with three games to play before Saturday’s cutoff date: Group 3 Camden Eastside (2-6), LEAP (1-11) and Wildwood (10-8).
Their playoff push took a hit when they lost Friday’s game with Clayton to weather, but they have an opportunity to make a move this week. Clayton has three road games left before the cutoff at Wildwood, (10-8), Pennsville (13-7) and Glassboro (5-11).
Understandably, the Red Devils will be doing “a lot” (with emphasis) of scoreboard watching over the next four days.
They haven’t been in the playoffs since 2021.
“It would be awesome for these guys to make it,” Weigle said. “The last few seniors, get them another game in before they graduate, and for the handful of freshmen that we have, I think that’d be a great experience; get them in there, get them playing (and) impacting them wanting to come back and play.”
In addition to his pitching, Wyatt went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Chase Wills, the projected starter in Thursday’s game with Wildwood, went 3-for-3 with four RBIs. Ethan Brooks had two doubles and two RBIs and Elijah Crespo had a triple and drew three walks.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 POWER POINTS
(Top 16 teams qualify for playoffs)
1. Audubon (15-7) 486, 2. Gloucester (16-6) 449, 3. Pitman (16-5) 421, 4. Pennsville (13-7) 409, 5. Woodstown (12-8) 382, 6. Schalick (10-9) 312, 7. Cape May Tech (10-9) 311, 8. Haddon Twp. (7-12) 3-7, 9. Buena (6-16) 289, 10. Wildwood (10-8) 265; 11. Gateway (8-12) 244, 12. Paulsboro (6-15) 240, 13. Maple Shade (7-11) 234, 14. Glassboro (5-11) 189, 15. Salem (4-12) 166, 16. Clayton (3-12) 147, 17. Penns Grove (3-12) 136, 18. Camden Academy Charter (8-3) 128, 19. LEAP (1-11) 51.
PENNSVILLE 9, SALEM 1: Peyton O’Brien went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and four Pennsville pitchers combined to hold the Rams to four hits. Starting pitcher Jacob Grant also had three hits for the Eagles, which Chase Burchfield, the fourth of the Pennsville pitchers, drove in a pair of runs.
Chase Davis had three hits for Salem and drove in the Rams’ only run.
The Eagles (13-7, 5-0) travel to Pitman (16-5, 6-1) Tuesday for a game that should decide the Tri-County Classic Division title. Pennsville won the earlier meeting 11-1.
CUMBERLAND 2, SCHALICK 0: The Colts pushed across runs in the first and fifth innings and two pitchers kept the Cougars off the scoreboard on four hits.
Josh Bondine drove home both of the Colts’ runs, the first with a bases-loaded walk and the second on a two-out single. Kameron Fiorani scored both runs.
The Cougars (10-9) threatened a couple times in the game, but couldn’t get the timely hit. J.T. Fleming opened the game with a double, but was stranded after two hard line-outs to short and a fly to left. They also had runners in scoring position in the third and seventh.
SOFTBALL
Atlantic Tech 6, Schalick 3
Cinnaminson 2, Woodstown 1
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Pennsville 19, Salem 0
PENNSVILLE 19, SALEM 0: Savannah Palverento homered and pitched a four-inning no-hitter, coming within a full-count walk with one out in the third inning of a perfect game. She threw 47 pitches, 30 for strikes.
It was Palverento’s second straight no-hitter, having blanked Wildwood over five innings in her last start. She has not allowed a hit in her last 9 1/3 innings.
“Savannah has done a great job working the last two games,” Eagles coach Beth Jackson said. “She had one at-bat get away from her tonight and walked the girl, otherwise she’d have had a perfect game. She’s been working hard to improve her pitching game; she just started a couple years ago.”
Her homer was an inside-the-parker that scored three runs in the Eagles’ nine-run second inning.
Avery Watson had two hits and three RBIs; Cara Hoyt drove in three runs; Reagan Wariwanchik and Bella Farina had two hits apiece and Kylie Harris has two hits and two RBIs.
CINNAMINSON 2, WOODSTOWN 1: Kayla Meenan raced home from third on an infield grounder with one out in the bottom of the tenth to decide the game. Meenan was placed at second base as the ghost runner, was sacrificed to third and came home on Delaney Kroll’s grounder to third.
The Wolverines (10-7) loaded the bases with none out in the top of the tenth, but couldn’t get them home as the Pirates framed two strikeouts around a force out at the plate.
Cinnaminson (16-7) scored an unearned run in the fourth inning and the Wolverines tied it in the sixth when Tulana Mingin came around on Ellie Wygand’s sacrifice.
ATLANTIC TECH 6, SCHALICK 3: The Cougars took an early lead with three runs in the third inning, but the Redhawks scored five over the last three innings to get the win.
Schalick senior Taylor Sparks picked up her 100th career hit in the game with a single in the fourth inning. She is now 100-for-218 for her four-year career (.459). Abby Willoughby, Ally Shrimp, Cloe Elliott, Rachael Irizarry and Lucianna Virga also had hits for the Cougars.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 POWER POINTS
(Top 16 qualify for playoffs)
1. Audubon (11-4) 406, 2. Buena (14-5) 389, 3. Pennsville (13-4) 367, 4. Haddon Twp. (13-6) 351, 5. Woodstown (10-7) 310, 6. Pitman (10-7) 287, 7. Maple Shade (10-5) 286, 8. Palmyra (8-8) 229, 9. Paulsboro (9-7) 223, 10. Cape May Tech (8-10) 192, 11. Glassboro (5-13) 189, 12. Clayton (5-11) 186, 13. Schalick (7-7) 167, 14. Gateway (4-10) 156, 15. Salem (4-12) 145, 16. Wildwood (2-11) 114, 17. Camden Academy Charter (6-4-1) 110, 18. LEAP (5-11) 72, 19. Penns Grove (0-8) 52.
GOLF
BRIDGEWATER TWP. — Schalick sophomore Jaxon Weber shot 92 at Raritan Valley Country Club in his first experience in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions.
The South Jersey Group I medalist, playing as an individual, got off to a slow start, making 8 on his first hole (No. 5), but he came right back with a par. He parred five of his last seven holes on the back nine, including three in a row (14-16), and six of his last 10 overall.
SCHALICK GIRLS 230, OLMA 230: Schalick’s Hannah Widdifield was the medalist at White Oaks CC (51), with the only birdie in the round on the 400-yard par-5 third. The Cougars won the team playoff by two shots (Cali Fisler 61 and Sarah Pagnanelli 61 to a 61-63 for OLMA.
BOYS TENNIS
CINNAMINSON 3, SCHALICK 2
Evan Kozuch (C) def. George Gould, 6-3, 6-3
Drew Harvey (C) def. Jesus Espinoza, 7-5, 4-6, 10-7
Davi De Brito Melo (C) def. Conor O’Toole, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
Rocky Monticolo-David Santana (S) def. Nathan Costa-Colby Warwick, 6-2, 6-4
Kaden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski (S) def. Michael Crandall-Daman McGee, 6-4, 3-6, 10-7
Records: Cinnaminson 9-4, Schalick 10-6.
WEST DEPTFORD 4, PENNSVILLE 1
Nate Bassett (WD) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-1, 6-3
Maddox Efelis (Pv) def. Carter Watson, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 10-7
Andrew Eagle (WD) def. Brody Wiggins, 6-4, 6-3
Chase Struzynski-Aiden Bardon (WD) def. Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft, 6-2, 6-2
Carter Weber-Allen Eastlack (WD) def. Sawyer Humphrey-Luke Chamberlain, 6-2, 6-2
Records: Pennsville 14-3, West Deptford 14-3.
CLEARVIEW 5, WOODSTOWN 0
Andrew Crawford (C) def. Tim Schwienbacher, 6-2, 6-3
Nanda Guntupalli (C) def. Drew Stengel, 6-1, 6-1
Gabe Bruno (C) def. Erich Lipovsky, 6-0, 7-6 (7-1)
Travis Lyons-Joey Lindenbaum (C) def. Ben Stengel-Joseph Kurds, 6-3, 6-1
Tucker Chestnut-Jackson Dickler (C) def. Mason Shimp-Luke Shaw, 6-1, 6-1
Records: Woodstown 10-4, Clearview 13-3.
Ripped away
Salem CC opens 6-run lead in deciding playoff game, but Northampton rallies in its last three bats to end Mighty Oaks’ historic season
REGION XIX TOURNAMENT
Sunday’s game
Northampton CC 16, Salem CC 12
(Northampton wins series, 2-1)
NORTH ATLANTIC DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
(Double-elimination format)
May 17-19
First-round games
Middlesex vs. RCSJ-Gloucester, 11 a.m.
Northampton vs. Brookdale, 11 a.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – For the second time in three games the Salem CC baseball team gave the No. 2 in the country all it could handle. But this time Northampton showed why it is the second-ranked team in the country.
The Mighty Oaks led 12-6 after their half of the sixth inning Sunday and for a moment appeared to be headed to next round of the Region XIX playoffs. But Northampton erupted for 10 runs over the next three innings to cut them down in the winner-take-all Game 3 16-12 and end their first winning season since reviving the program.
Going into the game, the Spartans (42-8) ranked sixth in JUCO Division III in runs scored (519). When it was over, they moved into third (535) – behind only No. 1 ranked RCSJ-Gloucester and Brookdale, their first-round opponent in the North Atlantic District tournament Friday. They scored 41 runs in the three games.
The seventh-seeded Oaks (27-25) had 15 hits over the first six innings, but it was their pitching and defense that hurt them in the end. Three errors in a mucky infield by shortstop Yen Rodriguez, moved from right field at midseason to remedy other defensive difficulties at the position, led to four runs during the Northampton comeback and pitchers J.D. Wilson, Ben Foote and Ryan Silnik issued seven walks or hit batsmen during it.
“We played hard,” Oaks coach John Holt said. “We made a couple mistakes and when you’re playing good baseball teams, they usually capitalize on those mistakes.
“Our guys left it all out there. That’s just baseball. We’re a young team. Nine inning ballgames are a grind and it was a long day. They have an opportunity to learn from this.”
Just as in the Oaks’ 14-11 win in Game 1, no lead was safe. The Oaks led 2-0 after Demetrius DeRamus’ two-run homer in the top of the first, but the Spartans answered with three in the bottom of the inning as starter Wilson struggled at the start.
Over the next three innings, though, Wilson kept the Spartans off the scoreboard, giving Salem a chance to get back in it. They went with Foote as the first option out of the bullpen when Wilson’s pitch count was getting “a little too dangerous for us” (127 pitches) because of his experience.
Foote was the Oaks’ Opening Day starter and their usual Friday starter and pitched only an inning and two thirds (46 pitches) in finishing their Game 1 victory.
The Oaks tied the game in the third and took a 9-6 lead in the fourth on DeRamus’ two-run single and Angel Velez’ ground out. They extended the lead to 12-6 with three in sixth on Velez’ two-run single and Lee Rodriguez’ sacrifice fly, but Northampton came back with five in the bottom of the inning to make it a game again.
DeRamus went 5-for-6 with four RBIs in the game and had eight hits and eight RBIs in the series. Velez was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and had eight hits and seven RBIs in the series. Yen Rodriguez homered for the Oaks during their third-inning rally.
Gabe Caso’s two-run single with one out in the seventh gave the Spartans in front for good and they stretched it to the final margin with three in the eighth. Caso went 4-for-5 with six RBIs.
Brandon Ratti, Northampton’s fourth pitcher, meanwhile, kept the Oaks off the scoreboard over the final three innings, holding them to three singles and four baserunners.
“We played a good series,” Holt said. “We were the only team in the regionals to extend their series to a third game and we were the seventh seed playing against a 2 seed. Most people wouldn’t have expected that out of us except for us.”
It may hurt a lot now, but when the sting of Sunday’s setback wears off, the Oaks will be able to reflect on a lot of good things they did during the season. This team was 11 games under .500 on April 9. The next day they started on an 18-1 tear that included a 15-game winning streak that earned them their first playoff berth since 2011 and guaranteed a winning season.
“They were a resilient group,” Holt said. “A lot of teams being down 10 under .500 could’ve folded. Instead, those guys bought into what we were trying to teach them and they battled all the way through. To qualify for the playoffs and play as well as we did down the stretch, there’s a lot to be real pleased with this season and with the future.”
| Salem CC (27-25) | 204 303 000 – | 12 19 7 |
| Northampton (42-8) | 330 005 23X – | 16 10 2 |
This week’s schedule
Several milestones are on tap for the Salem County sports calendar for the week of May 12-18: Schalick’s Taylor Sparks is one hit away from career No. 100, Woodstown’s Andrew Pedrick is two hits away from 100, Woodstown’s Tulana Mingin in four hits from school’s all-time hits record; all events 4 p.m. unless noted
SUNDAY, MAY 12
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Region XIX Tournament
Salem CC at Northampton, 2 p.m.
MONDAY, MAY 13
BASEBALL
LEAP at Penns Grove
Salem at Pennsville
Schalick at Cumberland
SOFTBALL
ACIT at Schalick
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Salem at Pennsville
Woodstown at Cinnaminson
GOLF
Haddon Heights vs. Woodstown, Town & Country, 3:30 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic vs. Schalick, Centerton CC
Schalick girls vs. OLMA, White Oaks CC
BOYS TENNIS
Cinnaminson at Schalick
Pennsville at West Deptford
Woodstown at Clearview
BOYS LACROSSE
Egg Harbor Twp. at Woodstown
TRACK
Pennsville at Schalick, 3:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 14
BASEBALL
Camden Eastside at Penns Grove
Overbrook at Schalick
Pennsville at Pitman, Alcyon Park
Pleasantville at Salem
Woodstown at Glassboro
SOFTBALL
Glassboro at Woodstown
Schalick at Overbrook
Pitman at Pennsville, Pennsville LL, 6 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Buena at Woodstown
Glassboro at Schalick
Middle Twp. at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Pitman
GIRLS LACROSSE
Mainland at Woodstown
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Highland, 3:45 p.m.
GOLF
Woodbury vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
BASEBALL
Buena at Woodstown
Clayton at Pennsville
Glassboro at Schalick
Penns Grove vs. LEAP at Rutgers Camden, 6 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Clayton at Pennsville
Salem at Gloucester Catholic
Woodstown at Penns Grove
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Westwood GC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Kingsway, River Winds GC
TRACK
Tri-County Showcase, Delsea, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Triton
Woodstown at Pitman
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter, 3:45 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Millville at Woodstown
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Gloucester Catholic
THURSDAY, MAY 16
BASEBALL
Overbrook at Pennsville
Salem at Schalick
Wildwood at Penns Grove
SOFTBALL
Penns Grove at Clayton
Schalick at Salem
GOLF
Schalick vs. Cumberland, Running Deer GC
BOYS TENNIS
Wildwood at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Penns Grove
FRIDAY, MAY 17
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Region XIX/North Atlantic District Tournament
Middlesex vs. RCSJ-Gloucester, 11 a.m.
Salem-Northampton winner vs. Brookdale, 11 a.m.
Second round, 3 p.m.
BASEBALL
Cumberland at Pennsville
Delran at Schalick, 4:15 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Highland at Pennsville
Schalick at Cape May Tech
GOLF
Pennsville at Delran, 4:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Clayton at Schalick, 3:15 p.m.
Overbrook at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Timber Creek, 3:45 p.m.
MAY 18
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Region XIX/North Atlantic District Tournament
Elimination game, 11 a.m.
Championship game, 3 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
West Deptford at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
Wolverines win Lee Ware
Coblentz has two big games at plate, helps Woodstown to a pair of dramatic tournament victories
BASEBALL
Lee Ware Tournament
Woodstown 7, Camden Catholic 6 (8 inns.)
Cherry Hill East 11, Paulsboro 0
Consolation game: Camden Catholic 13, Paulsboro 0
Championship game: Woodstown 5, Cherry Hill East 3
By Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – For the second time in three days, the Woodstown baseball team hoisted a winner’s trophy.
Ty Coblentz’ capped a big day at the plate with a two-run double to cap a three-run rally in the top of the seventh that lifted the Wolverines to a 5-3 win over Cherry Hill East to win their Lee Ware Tournament.
Thursday night, the Wolverines raised the newly minted Elmer Classic Cup after beating rival Schalick.
The Wolverines beat Camden Catholic in the opening round 7-6, walking it off on Brent Williams’ sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. They squeezed home the tying run in the seventh.
Coblentz had two hits in each game. Andrew Pedrick had two hits in the opening round and one in the championship game and now has 98 for his career.
Split puts Salem on cusp
Mighty Oaks split with No. 2 Northampton, remain confident playing for series win Sunday
REGION XIX TOURNAMENT
(Best-of-3 series)
No. 1 RCSJ-Gloucester bye
No. 4 Middlesex 7-15, No. 5 RCSJ-Cumberland 6-7
No. 3 Brookdale 9-9, No. 6 Ocean 2-5No. 7 Salem CC 14-2, No. 2 Northampton 11-14
Sunday’s game
Salem CC at Northampton CC, 2 p.m.
REGION XIX/NORTH ATLANTIC DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
(Double-elimination format)
May 17-19
First-round games
Middlesex vs. RCSJ-Gloucester, 11 a.m.
Salem-Northampton winner vs. Brookdale, 11 a.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The mood around the Salem CC dugout changed from the first and second game, but the Mighty Oaks haven’t changed course on their drive for the prize.
The Oaks split their Region XIX playoff doubleheader with No. 2-ranked and second-seeded host Northampton Saturday. They took the opener 14-11 for their first Region XIX playoff win game in 13 years, but lost the second 14-2 in five innings.
The split sends the series to a winner-take-all rubber game here Sunday at 2 p.m. Hard-throwing J.D. Wilson is scheduled to draw the start for the Oaks (27-24).
If the seventh-seeded Oaks win, they’ll move into the Division III North Atlantic District/Region XIX Final Four at RCSJ-Gloucester next weekend playing for a trip to the JUCO World Series.
“The one thing this team has done all year is rebounded well,” Oaks coach John Holt said. “We talk about it , it’s been kind of one of our creeds all year :‘So what, next pitch.’
‘So what, we’ve got to come out and play tomorrow. I won’t say we expected it (a split), but we prepared for it.’
The win in Game 1 may have shocked the region but it didn’t the Oaks.
They beat a then-third-ranked Brookdale earlier in the season, so they knew they could play with the elite, and they’ve also played their best baseball in the second half of the season, putting together an impressive run just to make the tournament field.
They took the Spartans’ hardest punch several times in Game 1 and turned them away.
The Oaks had 16 hits in the opener, with Demetrius DeRamus, Matt Murphy and Angel Velez all hitting homers. Velez had four hits and DeRamus and Murphy each had three. Yen Rodriguez and Jared Vandersteur both had two.
“They played hard, they stayed in the game,” Holt said. “The whole roster was in the game the whole day. That’s how we’ve got to play to win.”
There were five lead changes in the first game. The Oaks jumped on top 6-0 after two innings, thanks in part to DeRamus’ three-run homer in the second, but found themselves trailing after the fourth (7-6) and seventh innings (10-9).
“It was getting annoying, man; I just wanted those guys to stay down,” Velez said of the back and forth.
They took the lead for good with two in the eighth. Murphy’s leadoff homer tied it 10-10 and Velez scored the go-ahead run when the Spartans threw away Wilson’s grounder into a three-base error.
They extended the lead with three in the ninth on Murphy’s sacrifice fly and Velez’ second homer of the year, a two-run shot.
The Oaks handed it to Ben Foote to close it out. The Woodstown grad got out of a jam in the eighth and then with a four-run lead worked his way through the top of the Northampton order in the ninth. He induced Robert Furino, who homered twice in the game, to pop out to first baseman Lee Rodriguez for the final out.
“I just knew I had to throw strikes and get guys out and just keep my guys in the game,” Foote said. “They played defense behind me, so I knew we had it. It was an intense game but I didn’t let it bother me. Once I got my number called to go warm up I knew I just had to go in and throw strikes.”
The second game was as bad as the first game was good for the Oaks.
Salem starter Aiden Ewe had been pitching well since losing the hitch in his delivery – 4-0, 1.60 ERA in his previous five appearances – but he ran into some issues that Holt said were “out of his control” and got roughed up.
He had given up only six runs in his previous five appearances, but was charged with 11 in 2 2/3 innings. The Spartans scored six runs in the first inning behind four walks, a hit batsman and only two hits to take control.
The Oaks got two runs back in the second on a bases-loaded walk to Nick Ciesielka followed by a fielder’s choice on Rodriguez’ grounder to short. Northampton then scored five in the third to move into run-rule territory.
“Getting a split isn’t a bad thing,” Holt said. “We continue to match up well going into a Game 3. Like I’ve said before there’s a reason they’re the second-ranked team in the country. We showed we can hang with them and I feel pretty good about tomorrow.”
“We still have a chance to come play tomorrow and win,” Velez said. “That’s the only thing on our mind right now.”
Raising the trophy
Woodstown carries newly-minted Elmer Classic Cup home after thrashing Schalick in annual rivalry at Elmer LL fields
THURSDAY BASEBALL
Woodstown 12, Schalick 4
Clearview 6, Pennsville 5
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
ELMER – As soon as sophomore catcher Ty Coblentz squeezed the slow-motion called third strike for the final out of the game, the Woodstown players enthusiastically sprinted off the diamond looking for two things.
Tuna subs (don’t ask, it’s a player thing) and a trophy.
For the first time in the history of the rivalry, the Elmer Little League is presenting the winner of the Woodstown-Schalick baseball and softball games played in their complex with a traveling trophy – the Elmer Classic Cup – to display in their school.
For the next year, the four-tiered award will sit in the Wolverines’ trophy case after they humbled their rivals 12-4 Thursday night to sweep the regular-season series and take sole possession of first place in the Tri-County Conference Diamond Division
“It just always feels good to beat Schalick, they’re a rival for us,” centerfielder Blake Bialecki said. “We saw the trophy before the game. It’s big.”
The scores of each game will be engraved around the trophy for posterity. The games currently shown on the trophy go back to 2012, but they’ve been playing the series a lot longer.
Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro isn’t so much about trophies as much as he is what this one represents. It’s his hope the excitement created by the raising of his trophy will carry over going forward leading to raising a much bigger prize down the road.
“I like when they get excited, it doesn’t matter to me,” DeCastro said. “What I care about, what I am hoping, is that this experience they can replicate. If they can treat every game the way that they treat this game and the way they stayed focused throughout it, if that comes from this, then I’m super happy. If I take a trophy home and then I lose tomorrow I don’t really care.”
After being no-hit the day before, the Wolverines’ bats came to life to the tune of eight hits and many were timely. They reached Schalick ace Luke Pokrovsky for four runs in the third inning, then scored in every inning thereafter.
Brent Williams broke the scoreless tie with a two-run single in the third. Bialecki had two hits and three RBIs. Andrew Pedrick reached base all five times he came to the plate, including his 95th career hit in the third inning. Jack Knorr had two hits and Rocco String had two RBIs.
“Getting no-hit is just a terrible feeling and we knew we had to bounce back from that,” Bialecki said. “We knew we had to be better and we had to have better attitudes and better approaches and we definitely did that today. We need to build off this.”
“Any time you beat a kid who is as good as (Pokrovsky) it’s a big deal,” DeCastro said. “We were trying to change some of the things that we’ve seen over the last couple days and alter the way that we approach the game, so I’m happy to see that positive thing. “
Bialecki, one of the many players on both teams who grew up playing on the Elmer LL fields, squeezed in the third run of the fourth inning, had an RBI single in the sixth and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
“Winning districts over there was probably one of the best memories of my life and this just adds to it,” Bialecki said, pointing to the Little League diamonds across the way.
The Cougars (10-8) threatened in the fourth, loading the bases and bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs. But DeCastro brought in Thomas Boyles and the Boyles put out the fire against the only batter he faced. The Wolverines used six pitchers in the game.
Schalick did score three in the fifth to make it 6-4. Ricky Watt and Jake Siedlecki had RBI doubles and Pokrovsky stole home. But the Wolverines (10-8) answered with two in the sixth and broke it open with four in the seventh on only one hit – Jack Holladay’s bunt single.
CLEARVIEW 6, PENNSVILLE 5: The Pioneers pushed two unearned runs across in the bottom of the sixth after Pennsville tied the game with four in the top of the inning and then turned back another Pennsville threat in the seventh.
Chase Burchfield and Cohen Petrutz both had two-run singles in the sixth as the Eagles erased a 4-0 deficit to tie the game. In the seventh, Burchfield doubled home Logan Streitz with two outs to make it 6-5, but the Eagles (12-7) ran out of outs before they could bring the tying run home.
Burchfield had two hits and three RBIs. Streitz had two hits and Petrutz had two RBIs.
Wednesday roundup
Roundup features highlights of baseball, softball, tennis, golf and lacrosse events involving Salem County teams
BASEBALL
Overbrook 2, Woodstown 0
Clayton 12, Salem 0
Schalick 10, Penns Grove 4
SCHALICK 10, PENNS GROVE 4: Luke Pokrovsky had the first two-homer game of his career and Ricky Watt hit the first of his career for the Cougars.
Pokrovsky hit a solo homer in the second inning to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead and a two-run homer in the fifth. Watts hit a two-run homer in the fourth.
Pokrovsky, J.T. Fleming, Lucas D’Agostino and Enrico Hatz all had two hits for Schalick.
Elijah Crespo homered and drove in three runs for Penns Grove.
CLAYTON 12, SALEM 0: Isaac Taylor homered and drove in five runs from the top of the order and Michael Manera pitched a two-hit five-inning shutout as the Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak. Chase Davis and Jacob Parkell had the Rams’ two hits.
OVERBROOK 2, WOODSTOWN 0: The Rams scored two runs in the fourth inning and two pitchers combined to no-hit with the Wolverines.
The Rams broke a scoreless tie with a bases-loaded walk and followed by a hit batsman.
The Wolverines loaded the bases with nobody out in the first on two walks and a hit batsman, but started Caden Lawless got out of it with three straight strikeouts. They had only three more base runners the rest of the game. Reliever Cooper Himes walked the first batter he faced, then retired the last 15 in a row.
SOFTBALL
Schalick 18, Penns Grove 0
Woodstown 7, Overbrook 4
WOODSTOWN 7, OVERBROOK 4: The Wolverines took the lead with four runs in the seventh inning and to remain undefeated in the Tri-County Classic Division and put some distance between themselves and their challenges.
Cara Delia’s RBI double tied the game 4-4. The Wolverines took the lead when two runs scored on an infield error and they added an insurance run on another error.
Grace White pitched the final inning and two-thirds behind starter Liv Boultinghouse and set the Rams down in order in the seventh to close it out.
Delia and Tulana Mingin had two hits apiece. Mingin now has 125 hits for her career, seven shy of breaking the school record.
SCHALICK 18, PENNS GROVE 0: Taylor Sparks went 4-for-4 and drove in seven runs and three Schalick pitchers combined for a five-inning no-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
Sparks had a two-run single and a three-run triple in the Cougars’ 11-run second inning that broke open the game. Cloe Elliott and Cayla Sbrana had two hits apiece for the Cougars.
Addy Shimp, Abby Willoughby and Annie Podhel combined for the no-hitter, facing only two batters over the minimum. Podhel pitched three innings with five strikeouts.
GOLF
NORTHERN BURLINGTON 162, SCHALICK 174: Northern Burlington’s Noah Taylor was medalist (36). Schalick sophomore Jaxon Weber, fresh off his sectional championship, shot 40 to lead the Cougars.
SCHALICK GIRLS 203, CUMBERLAND 220: Cumberland’s Nicole Tarquinio was medalist (43), but the Cougars posted the next four low scores to win. NHannah Widdifield (46) and Cali Fisler (49) posted Schalick’s two low scores.
BOYS TENNIS
DELSEA 4, WOODSTOWN 1
Andrew McWilliams (D) def. Tim Schwienbacher, 6-1, 6-1
T.J. Natalie (D) def. Drew Stengel, 6-3, 6-0
Zeph Kell (D) def. Erich Lipovsky, 6-7, 5-0 (ret.)
Jacob Bramble-Eli Croce (D) def. Ben Stengel-Mason Shimp, 6-3, 6-1
Jason LaFond-Luke Shaw (Wo) def. Zach Natalie-Jacob Weist, 6-3, 6-3
Records: Delsea 8-7, Woodstown 10-2
PITMAN 3, PENNSVILLE 2
Maddox Marker (Pi) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-2, 7-5
Chase Rollins (Pi) def. Maddox Efelis, 6-2, 6-2
Brody Wiggins (Pv) def. Cole Kelly, 6-0, 6-1
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (Pv) def. Charlie Duffield-Ethan Loudner, 6-3, 7-6
Michael Fisicaro-Max Pappalardo (Pi) def. Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey, 6-3, 6-2
Records: Pennsville 14-2, Pitman 13-4
GIRLS LACROSSE
KINGSWAY 17, WOODSTOWN 5: Ally Phalines scored six goals for the Dragons (9-5). Emma Morgan and Delaney Walker scored two goals each for Woodstown (3-6).
Rested and ready
White, Woodstown softball sharp after long layoff; Farina has career day for Pennsville softball, Eagles win wild one in baseball and more
TUESDAY SOFTBALL
Pennsville 9, Triton 6
Pitman 18, Salem 2
Woodstown 7, Gloucester Catholic 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
GLOUCESTER CITY – Grace White and the Woodstown softball team returned to the field for the first time in 10 days and it looked like they never missed a beat.
White came within two outs of a complete-game shutout and struck out 12 leading the Wolverines past Gloucester Catholic 7-1 Tuesday.
It was the second day in a row a Salem County softball team returning from a lengthy break took down the Rams (7-6), who lost back-to-back games for the second time this season.
The Wolverines (8-6) hadn’t played since losing to Mainland in Williamstown’s Fred Powell Invitational April 27 and were idle last week as eight players were away on the school’s Senior Class Trip.
“I think the break was needed,” Woodstown coach Dave Wildermuth said. “We had played a brutally tough schedule the first half of the year and I think we just needed a break.
“We needed a break and we’ve regrouped. We had a couple decent practices last week while the girls were away, with some of the underclassmen, and we had a good practice yesterday. Yesterday was the first day (White) picked up a ball.”
Tulana Mingin and Cara Delia both had a pair of hits for the Wolverines (8-6), who snapped a season-long three-game losing streak in which they scored just one run in each game. Mingin moved into fourth place on the Wolverines’ all-time hits list and is now eight shy of tying the all-time mark.
The Wolverines jumped on top with two runs in the first inning on an error and Kayla Brown’s sacrifice fly. White drove in a run in the third with a ground out and Alyssa Baber doubled home a run in the third to make it 4-0.
White lost her shutout on a homer by Gabby Scirrotto with one out in the seventh inning that was just inches out of the reach of centerfielder Ellie Wygand. Scirrotto was the only Rams base runner to get past second.
The Wolverines have big Tri-County Classic games the next two days that could potentially give them control over the division. They travel to Overbrook Wednesday, then resume their rivalry with Schalick Thursday in their annual night game at Elmer Little League.
PENNSVILLE 9, TRITON 6: Bella Farina went 4-for-5 with two home runs and a career-high seven RBIs as the Eagles won their seventh in a row. Her first homer gave them a 3-0 lead in the first and her second, another three-run blast, broke a 6-6 tie in the seventh inning.
It was Farina’s second multi-homer game of the season. She is 16-for-22 with 16 RBIs in her last six games, has at least one RBI in each of her last seven games (17 total) and 14 in her last four games. She now has six homers and a career-tying 24 RBIs on the year.
“It felt good to have one of my best games against a really good team,” Farina said. “More importantly, I’m thankful to have helped the team get a big win. The best part about hitting home runs is my team meeting at home plate.”
Sierra Stultz also had four hits in the Eagles’ 18-hit attack. Kylie Harris had three and Savannah Palverento and Bella Rappa each had two. Lilly Birney took a homer away from the Mustangs in centerfield.
PITMAN 18, SALEM 2: The Panthers erupted for seven runs in the first inning and then held Salem to three hits – all in the first inning. The Rams scored both of their runs in the home first on an RBI double by Raegan Wilson and an RBI single by Morgan Johnson, then Pitman pitcher Cassidy Batten retired the last 14 batters she faced. Julliana Love had the other Salem hit, a leadoff single in the home first.
BASEBALL
Pennsville 13, Clayton 12
Vineland 6, Schalick 0
PENNSVILLE 13, CLAYTON 12: Jacob Grant homered and the Eagles pounded 20 hits with eight of the nine hitters in the lineup getting at least two.
Grant’s two-run homer and two-run doubles by Jeff Wagner and Logan Streitz fueled a seven-run fourth that gave Pennsville a 10-5 lead, but the Eagles could never shake the Clippers. RBI singles by Mason O’Brien and Chase Burchfield gave them a 13-10 lead in the sixth and they held on as Clayton scored two in the seventh.
Connor Starn and Cohen Petrutz both had three hits for Pennsville, while Mason O’Brien and Wagner each had three RBIs.
VINELAND 6, SCHALICK 0: The Fighting Clan scored three runs in each the third and fourth innings and Mario Toro threw just 69 pitches over six innings while allowing only one hit to stop Schalick’s four-game winning streak. Enrico Hatz had the Cougars’ only hit, a one-out single in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to five games. Gabe Torres and Luke Pokrovsky threw three innings of scoreless relief after the Clan did their damage.
BOYS TENNIS
PENNSVILLE 5, SCHALICK 0
Gabe Schneider (P) def. George Gould, 6-1, 6-1
Maddox Efelis (P) def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Conor O’Toole, 6-0, 6-0
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) def. David Santana-Rocky Monticolo, 6-2, 6-2
Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey (P) def. Kaden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski, 6-2, 6-4
Records: Pennsville 14-1, Schalick 9-5.
WOODSTOWN 3, CUMBERLAND 2
Luke Fischer (C) def. Tim Schwienbacher, 6-0, 6-1
Chase Sheppard (C) def. Drew Stengel, 6-3, 2-6, 10-5
Erich Lipovsky (Wo) def. Joey Nolan, 6-3, 6-3
Bent Stengel-Mason Shimp (Wo) def. Josiah Jiminez-Angel Perez, 6-1, 6-1
Luke Shaw-Jason LaFond (Wo) def. Justin Nolan-Mason Staffieri, 6-3, 6-4
Records: Cumberland 12-4, Woodstown 10-1.
Oaks show mettle
Salem CC baseball falls in final home game, but effort against No. 1 team in country gives it confidence heading into playoffs
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Sophomore Day for the Salem CC baseball team may have been the last home game for a group of second-year players who built the current culture of the program, but for the first time since the Mighty Oaks brought back the program it wasn’t their last game.
The Mighty Oaks gave top-ranked RCSJ-Gloucester all it wanted through six innings Monday, but the Roadrunners scored two in the seventh to hand the Oaks a 6-3 loss that marked the end of Salem’s regular season.
But unlike past years when the final game of the regular season was the final game, it’s not the end of the line for Mighty Oaks (26-23). They play their first Region XIX tournament game since 2011 Saturday as the No. 7 seed at second-seeded Northampton CC. Gloucester (41-7) clinched the No. 1 seed with the victory.
“This gives me a lot of confidence knowing that we can compete with the No. 1 team in country,” reliever Inaki Hutchinson said. “I feel really good going into the playoffs, especially against Northampton, who we didn’t play very well against when we played them in the beginning of the season, but we weren’t as big of a team and a brotherhood as we are now.”
“Today was like we really know we can compete and we didn’t put our best guys in there,” added centerfielder Demetrius DeRemus. The Oaks were missing several starters and regulars due to injury and exams.
The Oaks never led in the game, but were in it start to finish. They were locked in a scoreless tie through three innings and when they fell behind got within 3-2 and 4-3 before the seventh.
Gloucester struck first with three runs in fourth off an RBI single, three-base throwing error and sacrifice fly. Hutchinson came on to put out the fire and then pitched a scoreless fifth.
“Really all I was trying to do was attack the zone (and) let my guys make plays,” Hutchinson said. “All I was trying to do was pitch to contact basically until I got to two strikes and once it got to 2-2, 3-2, I was trying to K ‘em up.”
The plan was to give starter Ryan Silnik three innings with Hutchinson and John McAllister each getting two. Silnik had fewer than 40 pitches through the first three innings, so coach John Holt extended him into the fourth.
The Oaks got two of the runs back in the home fourth. Cole Dawson drew a bases-loaded walk and Jared Vandersteur was hit by a pitch for the 20th time this season, also with the bases loaded. It looked like they were going to get more, but Roadrunners centerfielder R.J. Mustaro flagged down DeRamus’ deep fly right center for the final out the Oaks’ outfielder was convinced was gone for a grand slam.
The Oaks left six runners in scoring position over the first five innings.
“That’s just baseball; that’s the nature of the beast,” Holt said. “Sometimes they fall for you, sometimes they don’t and they just didn’t for us today. We put together some solid at bats most of the day and that’s what we preach.”
Gloucester went up 4-3 in the sixth, but the Oaks answered in the bottom of the inning on Cole Dawson’s leadoff double and a throwing error on Vandersteur’s chopper to third. Vandersteur reached base all four times he came to the plate.
The Oaks recognized their eight sophomores after the game. Six of them played in the game, including all three pitchers. The others are Nick Cielsielka, Eli Real, Mike Ochmanski and pitchers Ben Foote and Aiden Ewe.
The group has been part of 40 wins — and counting — over the past two seasons and a school-record 15-game winning streak this season that guaranteed the Oaks a winning record and a spot in the playoffs.
“These guys were kind of the beginning of what we were trying to establish in regards to a culture,” Holt said. “These guys, they did a lot more than just (what happened) between the lines. They helped build that culture here and if this thing continues to grow the way we think it’s going to grow these guys are going to have a lot to say about where it came from.”
NOTES: The projected first-round tournament pairings are as follows: Salem-Northampton, Ocean-Brookdale, RCSJ Cumberland-Middlesex Gloucester has a first-round bye. Gloucester, Northampton and Brookdale are 1, 2 and 4, respectively, in this week’s JUCO Division III poll … If the Oaks win their first-round series, their second-round matchup is May 18-19. McAllister and Mighty Oaks softball outfielder Faith Penn have their wedding planned for May 18 … DeRamus was quite active in the outfield. He flagged down seven fly balls and almost threw out a runner at the plate in the seventh … With three more HBPs Monday, the Oaks now have 107, second nationally in JUCO Division III. Vandersteur is T-4 individually. Lee Rodriguez is T-9.
Cover photo: Salem CC recognized its eight baseball sophomores after Monday’s game with RCSJ-Gloucester.
Riverview Sports News 