He wanted the ball

Salem CC freshman Wilson asks to start, pitches six strong innings after rough start, leaves with lead, but Mighty Oaks can’t hold it

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – J.D. Wilson has never asked for a start on the mound since he got to college, but this time he just seemed compelled to do it.

The freshman right-hander from Pennsville absolutely wanted the ball in Salem CC’s Tuesday series finale with Middlesex College. He was going to get it anyway, but he wanted it from the start.

After a rough adrenaline-filled opening inning that could have turned into a be-careful-what-you-wish-for moment, Wilson settled in and proved worthy of the ask. He left his first college start after six innings with the lead, but the Mighty Oaks couldn’t hold it and fell to the Colts 6-5 for their seventh straight loss.

“I went up to (coach John Holt) before the game and he was like you’re coming in in relief today (and) I was like I kind of really want to start because I don’t really want these kids to hit the baseball,” Wilson said. “It was the first time this year I’ve said that.

“They took two from us on the weekend, pissed me off a couple things they did. I just went out there angry. Wanted it more than they did.”

The way things started it looked like he might have bitten off more than he could chew. He threw hard as usual, but he walked six of the first nine batters he faced and walked in a run in the first inning. But once he settled down, he allowed only one hit – a single in the fifth inning – and struck out 10. He retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.

“J.D. pitched great, J.D. pitched his tail off,” Holt said. “He deserved a better result.

“He wanted the ball. (Ben) Foote was coming off a short rest and (Wilson) was a guy who wanted the ball. He’s never asked for it so I assumed he felt great. I figured let’s roll with it.”

Wilson blamed his early struggles on rushing himself after a short, 10-pitch warmup in the bullpen. Once he got comfortable – and got his slider working – he lasted through just about 100 high-velocity pitches.

The Oaks (8-19) gave their starter a 5-2 lead with four runs in the fourth inning. The first three batters all reached base and Nick Ciesielka’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly tied the game. Dane Thomas walked to reload the bases and Matt Murphy followed with a two-run double just inside the left-field line to give the Mighty Oaks the lead. Mike Ochmanski’s sacrifice fly made it 5-2.

“I just had a clear mind,” Murphy said of his at-bat. “When I get in my head I usually don’t hit well, but I had a clear mind up there. He threw a hanging curveball and I put a good barrel on it and got a double on it.”

Murphy, a freshman outfielder from Vorhees, changed his walk-up song just prior to the game from “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin – the Chase Utley walk-up song – to “Knock, Knock” by Mac Miller and it seemed to help him. He’d had only one RBI in his previous eight games (since March 26).

“That kind of played in it, too,” he said. “I talked to my parents about it. My dad was like if you ever make it you can’t have that song when you go in because that’s his (Utley’s) song.”

The Colts put their rally together against reliever Ben Foote. Conor Drury’s two-out RBI single to left field gave them Colts the lead after Joshua Rodriguez’ two-run double tied it. Brett Lukachyk’s RBI double the game.

The Oaks threatened in the eighth. Thomas hit a leadoff double, but between Murphy and Ochmanski being hit by pitches, Thomas was picked off second and it drained the Oaks’ momentum. Colts reliever Sal Della Fave retired the next two batters to end the inning, then set Salem down in order in the ninth.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning. Middlesex scored on a bases-loaded walk to Drury. The Oaks matched it in the bottom of the inning when Yen Rodriguez raced home from third when the Colts had to play a dropped third strike to first.

NOTES: The loss was the Oaks’ 14th in the last 16 games after a four-game winning streak in early March that had them over .500 … Starting catcher Angel Velez left the game in the top of the first after taking a ball that bounced in the dirt in the neck. He’s likely headed to concussion protocol. Ochmanski replaced him in the lineup. Thomas was a last-minute replacement for an ailing Demetrius DeRamus.

Tuesday roundup

Here is a roundup of Tuesday’s high school sports action involving Salem County teams; will be updated during the evening

BASEBALL
Hammonton 10, Schalick 0
Pennsville 8, Delsea 6
Woodstown 10, Clayton 4
SOFTBALL
Delsea 3, Pennsville 2
BOYS TENNIS
Pennsville 5, Washington Twp. 0
Woodstown 4, Schalick 1

Baseball

WOODSTOWN 10, CLAYTON 4: The meat of Woodstown’s lineup – Andrew Pedrick, Jack Knorr and Brent Williams – had two hits apiece and combined for seven RBIs as the Wolverines (2-2) got back on the winning track. Pedrick had two singles, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Knorr had a single, double and two RBIs. Williams had two doubles and three RBIs. Three Woodstown pitchers allowed five hits and struck out 11.

HAMMONTON 10, SCHALICK 0: Jaiden Franchetti scattered three hits over five innings and struck out six in shutting out the Cougars (1-3). Luke Pokrovsky (double), Joseph-Tyler Fleming (single) and Ricky Watt (single) had Schalick’s three hits.

Jaxon Miller and Brayden Markart swung the big bats for Hammonton (1-1). Miller had two doubles and five RBIs, while Markart doubled three times and drove in two.

Softball

DELSEA 3, PENNSVILLE 2: Zoey Shangle delivered Delsea’s third straight single to open the eighth inning and drove home the winning run. The Crusaders (2-1) scored the tying run in the seventh on an error in the outfield.

Pennsville (3-2) took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Bella Farina’s RBI double and Bella Rappa’s sacrifice fly. Farina had two doubles in the game and Mary-Louise Montagna had three hits.

Tennis

WOODSTOWN 4, SCHALICK 1
Tim Schwienbacher def. George Gould, 6-4, 6-3
Drew Stengel def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-1
Erich Lipovsky def. Conor O’Toole, 6-1, 6-2
Rocky Monticolo-David Santana (S) def. Joseph Kurpis-Ben Stengel, 2-6, 6-4, 10-8
Luke Shaw-Mason Shimp def. Kaden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski, 6-7, 6-4, 10-8
Records: Woodstown 3-0, Schalick 0-2.

PENNSVILLE 5, WASHINGTON TWP. 0
Gabe Schneider (P) def. Khang Nguyen, 6-0, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. William Minchin, 6-2, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. John Ecker, 6-0, 6-0
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) Jack Laubin-Kaden Murphy, 6-0, 6-0
Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey (P) wins 6-0, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 3-0, Washington Twp. 0-2.

‘He’s Luke, you know’

Wood gives Pennsville six good innings in his first start of the season, then goes behind the plate for the first time to guide his reliever to the save

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Luke Wood does a pretty good job keeping his emotions in check when he’s out on the mound. Inside, his heart might be pounding like a bass drum and every nerve on fire, but outwardly he remains as steady as an ace of the staff should be.

Which is what made what happened on the final pitch of his first start of the season so noteworthy.

Maybe he knew it was going to be his last pitch of the day. Maybe he was just relieved to have pitched out of a little jam in a tight game. Maybe he just appreciated the strikeout.

Whatever the reason, the Pennsville junior let out a very audible “Let’s go,” after he blew a fastball past Woodstown’s Sam Chard for the final out of the sixth before switching places with batterymate Connor Starn to close out Monday’s 4-2 victory.

“I was trying to stay locked in all game, keep my emotions very level,” he said, “but I got out of that first-and-second (situation), which was really huge up by two (and) not giving up any runs there, and I think the emotions came over me. I was excited.

“I’m always pretty fiery when I’m on the mound. Any time I’m throwing well I’m pumped up. It’s a good feeling to go out and throw well.”

Wood thought his first start of the year went “pretty good” outside of the one inning Woodstown scored its runs. He wasn’t on a pitch count and wanted to finish the game, but coach Matt Karr lifted his ace after six innings and 85 pitches “looking out for him” for the long run. No sense in running risk in the third game in April when there’s bigger stakes in late May and June.

The Eagles (2-1) have games against powerhouses Delsea and Gloucester Catholic later this week and as much as the baseball world would love to see Wood on the mound in those situations he probably won’t pitch against either of them.

The left-hander gave up seven hits, a four-pitch walk and hit two batters in his in his final inning on Eclipse Monday, but he struck out nine, including the side in order in the third inning. Woodstown touched him for four straight hits and both their runs leading off the fourth, but he got out of it with two strikeouts and kept the Wolverines off the board the rest of the game.

“He’s Luke, you know,” Karr said. “We get him on the mound and we expect to win a baseball game, he expects to win a baseball game. I think he’ll tell you he can be better. It’s his first outing of the year and we’re still trying to build him up to where he wants to be pitching at the end of May and early June.

“He’s just working through some things, mechanical stuff. He was injured in basketball, so he’s a little behind in his throw program, but he’s a gamer. We know when we put Luke on the mound we can beat anybody.”

When Wood came off the mound for the last time he didn’t go far. He switched places with his catcher in a move he appreciated on a number of fronts. He got to break in the new catcher’s mitt he got for Christmas in anticipation of being behind the plate some this season and he was happy not to be “stuck out in the outfield without much control of what’s going on.”

When he set up for Starn in the seventh, it was his first inning of catching in high school.

It got dicey in the seventh inning. The Wolverines (1-2) put some good swings on the ball against Starn and got the tying run on with one out and loaded the bases with two. But Starn got cleanup hitter Brent Williams to ground sharply to shortstop Peyton O’Brien to end the game.

“Catching six innings your legs are a little tired, but you’ve got to push through it,” Starn said. “You can’t be scared. Being scared you’re just going to get beat every time. I just went out there knowing they’re not better than me, throw it where they can’t hit it and hope they call it a strike.”

In assessing his first-time catcher Starn said “he’s not bad, can’t complain.” Wood will be behind the plate every time Starn pitches going forward.

Woodstown took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on RBI singles by Williams and Rocco String, but the Eagles retook the lead in the bottom of the inning on two-out bases-loaded walks to Jacob Grant and Wood. Jeff Wagner’s two-out RBI double gave them an insurance run in the fifth.

Wagner was the first batter reliever Jack Holladay saw when he followed Jack Knorr, but after the double Holladay struck out the last four batters he faced.

The Wolverines outhit their hosts 10-6, but base-running mistakes cost them potentially five runs, three early and two in the seventh. They ran themselves out of two in the first and botched a squeeze in the fourth.

They cost themselves potentially two more in the seventh when Mark Banff misread Ty Coblentz’ shot to the centerfield fence that resulted in a long single with runners at first and second instead of the corners or better with the heart of the order coming to bat.

“We made three outs on the bases in the first two innings; on top of that we missed three (other) opportunities,” Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro said. “We just relied on beating a good pitcher with hitting and then we couldn’t capitalize on anything outside of that and we couldn’t run the bases, so you get what you get.”

PENNSVILLE 4, WOODSTOWN 2

Woodstown (1-2)	000 200 0-	2 10 0
Pennsville (2-1)	100 210 x-	4 6 1

LUKE WOOD (WP), Connor Starn (7, S) and Connor Starn, Luke Wood (7); TY TAYLOR (LP), Jack Knorr (4), Jack Holladay (5) and Ty Coblentz. 2B: Brent Williams (W), Jack Knorr (W), Luke Wood (P), Jeff Wagner (P).

This week’s schedule

Here is the sports schedule for teams in Salem County for the week of April 8-13; all events 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY

BASEBALL
Penns Grove at Salem
Schalick at Clayton
Woodstown at Pennsville
SOFTBALL
Clayton at Schalick
Pennsville at Woodstown, 4:30 p.m.
Salem at Penns Grove
GOLF
Schalick girls vs. Williamstown, Scotland Run GC
Overbrook vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 4:30 p.m.
Pennsville boys vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:45 p.m.
Salem Tech at Pitman, 3:45 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Pennsville at Glassboro, 3:45 p.m.
Triton at Woodstown, 4:30 p.m.
Clayton at Penns Grove, 4:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Cedar Creek, 4:30 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Haddonfield, 5:30 p.m.
TRACK
Pennsville at Penns Grove
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at GCIT, 3:45 p.m.

TUESDAY

BASEBALL
Clayton at Woodstown
Delsea at Pennsville
Schalick at Hammonton
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Delsea
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Northampton (2), 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Clayton, Pitman CC, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick girls in South Jersey Open, Westwood GC
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Washington Twp.
TRACK
Overbrook at Woodstown
Schalick at Glassboro

WEDNESDAY

BASEBALL
Gloucester at Woodstown
Overbrook at Penns Grove
Schalick at Glassboro
Wildwood at Salem
SOFTBALL
Glassboro at Schalick
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Overbrook
Salem at Wildwood
Woodstown at Haddon Heights
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Montgomery County CC, 3:30 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland (2), 3 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 3:45 p.m.
Cumberland at Pennsville
Schalick at Overbrook
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at West Deptford
GOLF
Pennsville vs. West Deptford, Riverwinds GC
Salem Tech vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Clearview, Westwood GC
TRACK
Clayton at Salem
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Triton, 3:45 p.m.

THURSDAY

BASEBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Schalick at Deptford
SOFTBALL
Camden at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Cumberland
BOYS TENNIS
Pennsville at Vineland, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Millville
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Gateway, Riverwinds GC, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Cumberland, Running Deer GC
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Mainland

FRIDAY

BASEBALL
Penns Grove at Gateway
Salem at Paulsboro
Schalick at Haddon Heights
SOFTBALL
Salem at Cumberland
Schalick at Gloucester Catholic
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Bergen CC at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Millville vs. Pennsville, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Pitman at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Delsea, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Wildwood
Schalick at Clayton
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Haddon Heights

SATURDAY

BASEBALL
Woodstown at West Deptford, 10 a.m.
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10 a.m.
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at West Deptford, 6 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Bergen CC (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Morris at Salem CC (2), noon
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Egg Harbor Twp., 10 a.m.
TRACK
Schalick girls, Penns Grove girls, Pennsville, Salem at West Deptford Relays, 9 a.m.
Schalick boys at Bridgeton Relays, 9 a.m.
Penns Grove boys at Cherokee

Saturday roundup

Here is a roundup of Saturday’s action involving Salem County high schools in track, baseball and lacrosse

Track

DEPTFORD – Salem’s Anthony Parker and DaviYonn (Pop) Jackson won individual events and four other Salem County athletes or relays won medals at the Deptford Spartan Relays Saturday.

Parker won the boys 400 Hurdles in 58.50 and Jackson won by boys triple by by a quarter-inch with a winning jump of 43-5.5.

The top three finishers in each event received medals.

Pennsville’s Connor Ayars finished second in the boys javelin (154-2). Schalick’s Grace O’Neill was third in the girls 400 Hurdles (1:11.64), Pennsville’s Megan Morris was third in the firls pole vault (8-0); and the Cougars’ girls 1600 sprint medley team (Ella Shimp, Karlie Bakley, Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci) was third in 4:39.67.

Below are the Salem County athletes who finished in the top eight of their respective events.

DEPTFORD SPARTAN RELAYS
(Top 3 places win medals)
BOYS
400 Hurdles: 1. Anthony Parker, Salem, 58.50
Distance Medley: 8. Schalick (Bradford Foster, Charles Fuerneisen, Steve Chomo, Salvatore Longo), 12:20.17
800 Sprint Medley: 8. Salem (Jelani Beverly, Omarion Pierce, Terrance Smith, Anthony Parker), 1:41.39
4×100 Shuttle Hurdle: 6. Schalick, 1:18.92
4×800: 4. Schalick (Steve Chomo, Charles Fuerneisen, Wyatt Juczak, Salvatore Longo), 9:11.16
4×200: 4. Salem (Anthony Parker, Terrance Smith, Omarion Pierce, Kaden Robinson), 1:35.41
4×400: 6. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Jacob Carter, Hunter Dragotta, Sickler Kolby), 3:44.72; 8. Penns Grove (Knowledge Young, Theus Barrios, Sebastian Hernandez, Kylee Goodson), 3:47.33
Javelin: 2. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 154-2; 5. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 135-10
Long Jump: 5. David Stewart, Schalick, 19-0
Triple Jump: 1. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 43-5.5; 7. David Stewart, Schalick, 39-11

GIRLS
400 Hurdles: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:11.64
Distance Medley: 5. Schalick (Jordan Hadfield, Sophia Longo, Ella Shimp, Grace O’Neill), 14:04.16
800 Sprint Medley: 5. Salem (Karima Davenport-White, Anna Buzby, Rhionna Timmons, Dayana Jones), 1:57.57
4×100 Shuttle Hurdle: 4. Salem (Anna Buzby, Karima Davenport-White, Tahirah Davenport-White, LaMiracle Summers), 1:13.74; 8. Schalick (Brooke Watt, Gabriella Simonini, Allison Phillips, Grace O’Neill), 1:16.90
4×800: 6. Schalick (Caylen Taylor, Jordan Hadfield, Ella Shimp, Sophia Longo), 11:15.20
4×200: 4. Salem (Anna Buzby, Karima Davenport-White, Rhionna Timmons, Dayana Jones), 1:53.81
1600 Sprint Medley: 3. Schalick (Ella Shimp, Karlie Bakley, Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci), 4:39.67
4×400: 7. Schalick (Karlie Bakley, Alivia Klancic, Katelyn Little, Sophia Longo), 4:37.77
Discus: 5. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 97-8
High Jump: T-6. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 4-8
Pole Vault: 3. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 8-0; 5. Anna Buzby, Salem, 7-6

Baseball

KELLY TOURNAMENT
SCHALICK 11, CLAYTON 1
GLOUCESTER CITY 6, SCHALICK 5

The Cougars misplayed Ayden Daily’s bases-loaded grounder to third with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to chase home the decisive run against Gloucester City.

In their opening-game victory, Ricky Watt and Luke Pokrovsky both hit a pair of doubles and combined for seven RBIs and two pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Cougars beat Clayton.

Seven of the Cougars’ 14 hits in the game were doubles. Every spot in the lineup had at least one hit. Watt went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Pokrovsky went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.Cole Hartley pitched the first four innings of the five-inning game, giving up two hits and a run. Jamari Whitley pitched a one-hit fifth with three strikeouts.

CEDAR CREEK 12, WOODSTOWN 8: The Wolverines had answers for almost every Cedar Creek salvo except the four-spot the Pirates put up in the third inning and was the difference in the game.

Sean O’Kane and Tyler McCorriston both went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Pirates. Brent Williams had the big bat for Woodstown, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Jack Holladay and Ty Coblentz both had a pair of hits for the Wolverines.

GCIT 19, PENNSVILLE 1: Eagles coach Matt Karr wasn’t making excuses, but he can’t remember seeing as many hits off the handle and seeing-eye singles GCIT produced in a 16-run third inning that broke the game open.

The Cheetahs sent 20 batters to the plate in the inning and banged out 12 hits. Ben Sumek batted three times with a walk, single, bases-loaded double and five RBIs, Willie Popoff had a single, triple and four RBIs.

Cohen Petrutz had two of Pennsville’s four hits and Stevie Fatcher drove in their only run.

Lacrosse

WASHINGTON TWP. 16, WOODSTOWN 9: The Wolverines played their visitors even after halftime, but fell into an 11-4 halftime deficit they couldn’t shake. Nine players scored goals for Washington Twp. Robbie Finnegan had five goals and two assists.

Friday roundup

Here is a compilation of sports results from around Salem County Friday; includes college baseball, boys tennis, girls lacrosse

College baseball

RCSJ-CUMBERLAND 9, SALEM CC 4

The Dukes squeezed all nine of three runs into the sixth and seventh innings.

Yen Rodriguez, who’s made a mid-season Mookie Betts move going from right field to shortstop, homered for Salem and Cole Dawson drove in a pair of runs. Ben Charbonneau had three hits

The Mighty Oaks led 1-0 in the fifth, but the Dukes scored five in the sixth, then after Salem got within a run added four in the seventh.

Boys tennis

PENNSVILLE 3, DELSEA 2
Andrew McWilliams (D) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-3, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. T.J. Natalie, 6-2, 6-2
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Zeph Kell, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) def. Eli Croce-Jacob Bramble, 6-2, 6-3
Dominik Maronski-Zach Natalie (D) def. Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

WOODSTOWN 3, KINGSWAY 2
Tim Schwienbacher def. Filip Mirkovic, 6-4, 6-4
Drew Stengel def. Dominic Palladino, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6
Nick Decinque (K) def. Erich Lipovsky, 6-3, 6-2
Joseph Kurpis-Ben Stengel def. Charlie West-Tyler Wilkinson, 1-6, 6-2, 10-8
Aiden Shoemaker-Nolan Steurer (K) def. Jason LaFord-Mason Shimp, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8

HADDON HEIGHTS 3, SCHALICK 2
Ben Mazzucco (H) def. George Gould, 6-4, 6-1
Ryan Connor (H) def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-0
David Santana (S) def. Milan Stocker, 6-1, 6-0
Mike Pender-Gavin Ewing (H) def. Conor O’Toole-Rocky Monticello, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7
Kayden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski (S) def. Josh Harris-David Maher, 6-1, 6-2

Girls lacrosse

PAUL VI 19, WOODSTOWN 2: Paul IV’s Ava Diaz had eight goals and three assists, while Ave Martin and Emma McCarthy each had four goals and four assists. Delaney Walker scored both goals for Woodstown.

Salem County slams

Pedrick’s grand slam gives Woodstown the lead for good against Schalick; Fatcher’s first career homer a slam for Pennsville

FRIDAY BASEBALL
Pennsville 29, Penns Grove 3
Pitman 16, Salem 2
Woodstown 9, Schalick 4

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Andrew Pedrick hit a grand slam in the fifth inning Friday to give Woodstown the lead on Opening Day and from the reaction it got you’d have thought another earthquake was shaking the area.

Pedrick’s blast broke a 2-2 tie and sent the Wolverines to a 9-4 victory over rival Schalick. The response to his first varsity grand slam, which you could hear all the way to the softball field at the front of the complex, took him back to his Little League days.

“I’ve never heard anything like that, it was amazing,” he said. “Maybe Little League. I think when I was 11 I hit a grand slam and the place was going crazy, but there’s nothing like that.

“Off the bat I think everybody started to yell. It felt good. I just said, ‘Get out.’”

There might be something to that earthquake thing. Earlier in the day, Salem County residents felt a 4.8 magnitude quake that was centered in Hunterdon County. There was 4.0 magnitude aftershock centered about 15 miles from the original tremblor at just about the time Pedrick connected.

The slam was big on a number of fronts. Pedrick made a bad throw on a tailor-made double play that gave Schalick its second run of the fourth inning, so the blast brought a sense of redemption. The first time he came to the plate after the error, he singled home the Wolverines’ first run in the home fourth and then in his next at bat he hit the slam.

He went 3-for-4 in the game, his fourth career three-hit game against the Cougars. He was 3-for-4 against them in last year’s season-opener, too.

“It was a really good swing to left-center field,” Wolverines coach Marc DeCastro said of the slam. “He got jammed a lot earlier in the game so it was nice to see him be able to see that and still get it the other way.

“I know he’s disappointed in himself, too, because of the double-play ball that would have got us out of the inning; he’s so much better than that. I’m happy for him. He makes that mistake and he’s disappointed and now the next opportunity he gets he can either sink because he’s upset about that or he can challenge himself to forget about that and do something for the team and that’s what he did.”

Pedrick wasn’t the only Wolverine to homer in the game.

Jack Holladay provided Woodstown some insurance with a two-run shot in the sixth. It was his first career home run on “the big field” and helped him avoid an oh-for on Opening Day. Teammates standing around his post-game interview roared with approval when the first baseman was reminded he has a similar sounding name as the MLB’s top prospect, Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday.

“It felt good for me,” he said. “I was just thinking stay up the middle. I was trying to get my first hit on the day. It didn’t feel good off the bat, but I think the wind helped out a lot.”

The Wolverines hit 15 homers last season. They had one in their season opener, but just two through their first seven games. There’s a sense this could be a power hitting team because it’s virtually the same team as a year ago only one year older and stronger.

“We look for our pitch a lot so when we get it we’re ready to hit it out,” Pedrick said.

Until each team broke through in the fourth inning, Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky and Woodstown’s Aaron Foote were matching zeroes. Pokrovsky got all 10 of his outs in 3 1/3 innings via strikeout but he threw 94 pitches. Foote gave up three hits and struck out four in 3 1/3 innings.

WOODSTOWN 9, SCHALICK 4

Schalick (0-1)	000 202 0-	4 10 0
Woodstown (1-0)	000 243 x-	9 5 0

WP: Michael Valente. LP: Lucas D’Agostino. 2B: Ricky Watt (S). HR: Andrew Pedrick (W), Jack Holladay (W).

PENNSVILLE 29, PENNS GROVE 3: Sophomore Stevie Fatcher hit his first career home run in his first at-bat of the season – a grand slam in the first inning – and Logan Streitz threw four innings of shutout ball for his first career win.

Fatcher, 8-for-23 with two extra-base hits as a freshman last season, went 2-for-2 with five RBIs against the Red Devils. Luke Wood had four RBIs, Jeff Wagner (two hits) had three, and Connor Starn, Mike McClincy, Jovanni Rios and Streitz each had two.

Streitz allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one on 53 pitches. Elijah Crespo had two of Penns Grove’s four hits.

The 29 runs were Pennsville’s most in a game since a 31-8 win over Wildwood in May 2018.

PENNSVILLE 29, PENNS GROVE 3

Penns Grove (0-1)	000 03-	3 4 2
Pennsville (1-0)	894 8x-	29 13 1

WP: Logan Streitz. LP: Dylan Hyatt. 2B: Luke Wood (Pv), Jeff Wagner (Pv). HR: Stephen Fatcher (Pv).

PITMAN 16, SALEM 2: The Rams scored a pair of runs in the first inning to get their season off to a fast start, but some loose fielding and lack of command that followed conspired to send them to an Opening Day defeat.

Three Pitman pitchers held the Rams to two hits – a single by Caleb Clair in the first inning and a double by Colin Finney in the third. The Rams scored their two runs in the first on a bases-loaded error. The Panthers broke it open with nine runs in the fourth.

PITMAN 16, SALEM 2

Salem (0-1)	200 00-	2 2 9
Pitman (1-0)	412 9x-	16 8 3

WP: Jude Engstrom. LP: Terrell Robinson. 2B: Colin Finney (S), Stephen Devanney (P), Aidan Stranahan (P).

Cover photo: Woodstown’s Andrew Pedrick (L) talks with Brent Williams after hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning against Schalick Friday.

This week’s schedule

Here is the sports schedule for Salem County teams for the week of April 1-6; all games 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY

BASEBALL
Schalick at Woodstown
SOFTBALL
Schalick at Woodstown
GOLF
Delsea girls vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown

TUESDAY

BASEBALL
Pennsville at Clayton
Penns Grove at Glassboro, 10 a.m.
Salem vs. Pitman, Alcyon Park
SOFTBALL
Glassboro at Penns Grove, 10 a.m.
Clearview at Woodstown
OLMA at Schalick
Pennsville at Clayton
Pitman at Salem
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Mercer County CC, 3 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Mercer County CC (2), 3 p.m.
GOLF
Washington Twp. girls at Schalick, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick boys vs. West Deptford, River Winds GC
Gloucester Catholic vs. Salem Tech, Sakima CC
BOYS TENNIS
Cunberland at Woodstown

WEDNESDAY

BASEBALL
Schalick at Millville
SOFTBALL
Ocean City at Woodstown
Penns Grove at Cumberland
Schalick at Clearview
TRACK
Pennsville at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Overbrook
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Westwood GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Paul VI, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Clearview at Woodstown
BOYS TENNIS
Middle Twp. at Pennsville

THURSDAY

BASEBALL
Salem at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Pitman at Schalick
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Salem
Woodstown at Penns Grove
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC (2), 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Schalick boya vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC
Clearview vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 3:30 p.m.
Pennsville vs. West Deptford, Riverwinds GC, 3:30 p.m.
TRACK
Schalick at Woodstown
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Woodstown

FRIDAY

BASEBALL
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Schalick at Woodstown
SOFTBALL
Paulsboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Schalick at Woodstown
COLLEGE BASEBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Penns Grove, Sakima GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Delsea at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Kingsway, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Haddon Heights
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Paul VI
TRACK
Schalick at Woodstown

SATURDAY

BASEBALL
Salem, Schalick, Clayton at Gloucester City, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Cedar Creek, 11 a.m.
SOFTBALL
Camden Catholic at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Raritan Valley at Salem CC (2), noon
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Schalick at Deptford Relays, 9 a.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Washington Twp. at Woodstown, 10 a.m.

Getting to know …

Pennsville’s Luke Wood

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Luke Wood has played a lot of sports growing up as the son of a high school coach, but make no mistake, he’s a baseball player. When Pennsville coach Matt Karr pencils Wood in the lineup card as his starting pitcher, he does so with the confidence the junior left-hander gives the Eagles every chance to win the game.

That’s why he gets the ball in the biggest games and against the biggest teams.

Fittingly on Opening Day of the MLB season, a day many consider a national holiday, Wood sat down with the Riverview Sports News to talk about his love for the sport, the influences on his game, his plans for the future and what he does away from the field.

It’s a deeper dive into the life of an athlete in Salem County, the first of what is planned to be a regular feature in the Riverview Sports News this spring and beyond.

As he sat through the interview, Wood had another Opening Day on his mind. He is the scheduled starting pitcher in the Eagles’ 2024 season-opener Tuesday at Clayton.

RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: You’ve played multiple sports growing up, but it seems like you’ve settled on baseball. Why?

LUKE WOOD: I think growing up pitching was always one of my favorite things to do. I’ve always loved throwing. I was born with a great arm, I was very lucky to have that, and as I got older and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with sports and what I wanted to focus on, baseball, getting on the mound and competing and going after hitters, I don’t know if there’s anything like that. That competitiveness that I can feel on the mound, I don’t feel anywhere else.

RSN: Will you go back to other sports going forward? I think one of your goals is to be Pennsville’s all-time leading scorer in boys basketball. (Wood has 1198 career points, third on the school’s all-time boys list behind Zach Manorowitz’ 1679 and Dan Feruck’s 1284).

LW: I didn’t play any football in the high school. I stopped playing when I was really little. Football wasn’t my thing. My dad (Ryan Wood) is a big football coach, won a state championship first year, did really good, but football wasn’t really ever my sport. I was more of a soccer kid growing up. I don’t play anything in the fall, I just take the fall off, although I might play soccer next year. It’s up in the air.

I would love for next year to go out and break Zach Manorowitz’ record for all-time points for the boys. I think that’s one of the coolest feelings you could probably have, especially since then I could come back here for my entire life and see my name up on that banner. I just think it’s a really cool deal.

RSN: What did reaching 1,000 career points in basketball mean to you and how neat will it be to have three members of the family on that 1,000-point banner when Marley does it maybe as early as next winter? (Older sister Ryane Wood finished with 1224 points in 2022. Marley currently has 720).

LW: I think it was one of the coolest feelings just because not a lot of people score 1,000 points and do something my dad never got the chance to do and then to do something my sister did that I got to watch, it was just a really good feeling to go out and score 1,000 points in three years.

Seeing Ryane scoring over 1,000 points was one of the coolest moments of my life and to be able to see my little sister score 1,000 is going to be even cooler, especially since our banner is going to have Wood-Wood-Wood going straight down it.

RSN: What’s your earliest favorite memory in baseball that put you on this path?

LW: Growing up with my dad and seeing his love for the game and just his competitiveness about the game is what put it in me. I didn’t really choose what I wanted to do until I got to high school. I was still playing AAU basketball, still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I think it’s because my natural talent in baseball is better than it is in basketball, but it’s also the atmosphere of baseball. There’s nothing like going out and throwing a game.

RSN: We’re talking today on what is the day of the MLB Opening Day. As a baseball player does it give you an extra charge when it’s Opening Day. (He will draw the start for Pennsville on the Eagles’ Opening Day Tuesday against Clayton).

LW: It’s always a good feeling when it gets to be baseball season because that means warm weather, you get to go outside a whole bunch, watch some baseball, get to play some baseball.

RSN: Any other memorable baseball experience you care to share that shaped you?

LW: I’ve gotten really lucky. I’ve gotten to go to a good amount of some good events where there have been some good people. I went to the PBR Futures Games the last two years (in Georgia). I got to pitch on the Wake Forest field for a camp, which I thought was really cool; I threw really well there, too. I threw on the Maryland field. I threw against the top 100 team in the state, had a good game.

The Carpenter Cup was one of the coolest things, too, just to get my name selected to be on the team as a sophomore. When they played at Citizens Bank I was down in Alabama for a travel ball tournament, so I didn’t get to go to that. I only ended up going to the first two games.

RSN: You sprained the ankle on your push-off foot during the basketball season. I know you came back from it, but how much did you worry about it impacting your baseball future? Teammate Chase Burchfield hurt his shoulder early in the basketball season and shut it down for baseball. You didn’t have any of those thoughts, did you?

LW: This isn’t the first time I’d hurt my ankle. I hurt it last year during baseball season. I hurt it last year during the summer really bad. I think I’ve gotten over the fear of hurting it again and even worrying about that. Once I hurt it, I made sure I did a lot of rehab on it to strengthen the muscles so it didn’t happen again. It’s not really a problem.

RSN: We came on the scene late last year, but what I learned is that even as a sophomore you get the ball against the better teams/bigger games. How much do you like that role and what do those games do for your energy?

LW: I think a lot of it is just going out and knowing I have to compete not just for myself but for my team. The competitiveness in me wanting to win really bad is why I want the big games, it’s why I throw the big games. I want to go play and throw against the best players so that it gives our team the best chance to win.

RSN: Your dad’s a coach. Probably coached you in a bunch of sports. What’s it like playing for your dad and what’s been his influence on your development and sports path?

LW: My dad has always been very focused on me and my career within any sport. Any time I need to go hit, throw, get shots up or anything, he texts back within five minutes and he’s right there, ready to do it right away. My dad just wants to see me succeed and will literally do anything for me in order to make that happen.

My dad, when he was going into his sophomore year of high school, had a really bad accident with his Achilles and it knocked him out for his sophomore year of basketball. I think he ended up playing his sophomore year of baseball in high-top sneakers. Knowing that happened to my dad and knowing he went out and made a Carpenter Cup team, scored 500 points as a senior, it’s something that makes me want to work harder knowing that he worked through all that adversity to get to where he’s at.

RSN: What do you do to switch gears emotionally and physically going from one spot to the next? Unlike where I came from (Alabama), the state gives you time in between seasons and there’s not much overlap.

LW: I really just get super geared up for baseball. I go out and hit every day, make sure I throw every day, make sure I’m tunnel-visioned focused on just baseball for that month. Not having the whole winter to train like some people do, that month is very crucial and important for me to get better for the season.

RSN: What do you do away from the field, like what do you do for fun on your downtime?

LW: I love doing LEGOs; I’m a LEGO guy. I love Harry Potter LEGOs. I build them and we don’t have anywhere in my house to put them so they just kind of get left around until I figure out what to do with them. There are probably like four in my kitchen right now. There’s a train in there.

I love Harry Potter. I love the movies, I love the books. Every time I go to the LEGO store, Walmart, I just look for the Harry Potter ones.

RSN: Are you working on anything now?

LW: I’m actually midway through building the Taj Mahal.

RSN: OK, let’s wrap it up by talking about the future. I know you’re currently uncommitted to a college baseball program. Where do things stand with your recruiting, summer plans, life plans? What are you looking for in a college program?

LW: Ever since I got to be a freshman I was getting recruiting, but I’ve always just never really wanted to do it; I always felt like it was too early. I’ve always just wanted to wait just so I know where I’m at. Where I’m at now is completely different from where I thought I would be in two years. I don’t want to make a decision and then have that decision in two years not even be worth it because I rushed it.

For me, college has never been about where it is, what the school’s name is, it’s always been about trying to find somewhere where I would want to go, where I would feel at home for the next four years of my life. I’ve really gotten away from the whole recruiting lately, but I’m hoping to pick it back up in the summer when travel ball starts.

After college I would love to go play MLB baseball if I could, if I got the opportunity and ended up being good enough to. If not, I would love to go to law school, be a lawyer like my mom is. I would love to be a prosecutor or something like that. I would love to get into the corporate lawyer business because they make a ton of money.

NEXT UP: Woodstown softball player Tulana Mingin.

Coaches, if there is a player in your program with an interesting background or backstory that should be considered for a “Getting To Know …” feature, send the details in an email to Riverview Sports News at al.muskewitz@gmail.com

Another late loss

Lehigh Carbon scores twice in the seventh after Salem rallies to tie, hands Mighty Oaks third straight loss in late innings

By Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – The bad luck that has shadowed the Salem CC baseball team in recent games continued Wednesday when the Oaks gave up two runs in the seventh inning after tying it an inning earlier in an 11-9 Region XIX loss to Lehigh Carbon at the Carneys Point Rec Complex.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed by the rain that started falling right before the final out of the opener.

The Oaks (7-12) have lost seven of their last eight. Since walking off No. 3 Brookdale in the opening game of that series last week, they have lost four straight. They were blown out by the Blues in Game 2, blew an eight-run lead to them in the rubber game, lost in the bottom of the 10th to Lehigh Carbon Tuesday after tying the game in the ninth and then Wednesday happened.

The Oaks answered Lehigh Carbon’s opening salvo with five in the home first, but continued giving up runs and fell behind 9-7 after three innings. They tied the game in the sixth on back-to-back RBI doubles by Angel Velez and J.D. Wilson.

Matt Decker threw 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief to keep the Oaks in the game into the seventh, but then Cougars (5-6) reached him.

It started when Decker hit Ethan Kauffman with one out. Kauffman stole second and scored the go-ahead run on Hunter Rothrock’s single up the middle. Rothrock stole second, went to third on the throw to first on a dropped third strike and scored the insurance run on winning relief pitcher Robbie Behrens’ RBI single.

Yen Rodriguez gave Salem life in the seventh when Kauffman misplayed his fly to left into a three-base error. But Behrens doused the threat with two infield pops and a grounder to first.

The Oaks had seven hits in the game, five of them doubles. Rodriguez had two of them. Wilson also had two hits.

Lehigh Carbon (5-6)	342	000	2–	11	11	5
Salem CC (7-12)	511	002	0–	9	7	0

Connor Kuster, Owen Ondrejca (1), ROBBIE BEHRENS (6, W 1-0) and Joey McNamara. John McAllister, MATT DECKER (3, L 0-1) and Angel Velez. 2B: Joey McNamara (LC), Noah Rush (LC), Yen Rodriguez 2 (S), Demetrius DeRamus (S), Angel Velez (S), J.D. Wilson (S). 3B: Kain Smith (LC).

Softball

VINELAND – The Mighty Oaks and RCSJ-Cumberland were scheduled to play a doubleheader, but the game were postponed by the Dukes for internal reasons. The teams are looking for a suitable date to reschedule.