Salem CC swept out of Region XIX baseball playoffs by Brookdale, second game hopes dashed by 16-run first inning
REGION XIX PLAYOFFS Brookdale 11-18, Salem CC 3-3 FINAL FOUR TOURNAMENT At Rutgers-Camden Thursday’s first-round games Camden vs. Brookdale RCSJ-Gloucester vs. Middlesex
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
LINCROFT – It certainly wasn’t way the Salem CC baseball team had hoped their stay in this year’s Region XIX playoffs would go, but, after all, it was a tall order.
The Mighty Oaks thought they had caught a bit of a break when they got some outside help to jump up to the seventh seed in the bracket on the last day of the regular season, but second-seeded Brookdale proved just as challenging as the top seeded team they felt fortunate to avoid.
It was anything but easy. They were run-ruled in both games of their first-round playoff doubleheader Saturday, falling to the Jersey Blues 11-3 in seven innings and 18-3 in five.
“We knew coming in we’d have to play good baseball to be successful,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “Brookdale’s a good team. They took advantage of the mistakes me made.”
Game 2 started savagely. Brookdale scored 16 runs in the bottom of the first and held an 18-0 lead when play was halted before the start of the home third for lightning in the area. The big inning lasted longer than the delay.
The Jersey Blues (41-10-1) sent 20 batters to the plate; two guys batted three times. It was only 7-0 when starter Logan Peters got the second out of the inning, but the next nine Brookdale hitters reached safely. There were 11 hits, three errors, two walks, two hit batsmen, five wild pitches and a passed ball.
“It didn’t feel too great,” outfielder Cliff Wysinger said.
“I didn’t realize they batted around (that many times),” first baseman Tyler Hacker said. “The leadoff hitter saw me three times at first base. I didn’t realize until after we got back to the dugout. I felt we had played four or five innings.”
Peters was out after 14 batters and Anthony Pizzuti’s three-run homer that made it 12-0. Holt said the left-hander was making good pitches and stayed with him that long because he was still going to make enough of them to get out of it. He did. Brookdale just hit them.
“Honestly, Logan didn’t pitch bad, they just hit it where we weren’t,” Holt said. “They’re a good-hitting team. They kept finding hole — all day. He was making some quality pitches and those guys were finding those holes. We could’ve had 15 guys out there today and it seems like they would have found that (open) spot.”
In the big inning alone, Pizzuti was 2-for-2 with four RBIs; Ryan Tan was 2-for-2 with three RBIs; Ray Mulhern, was 2-for-3 with two RBIs; and Ryan Adams had two hits.
If that weren’t bad enough, the Mighty Oaks had to sit through a 32-minute lightning delay with the big inning and margin staring at them from the scoreboard. And they still had to play when they were way behind.
“It especially feels worse because it’s the last game,” outfielder Jason LeBold said. “You don’t want to say it knocks the wind out of your sails because you always want to say you’re in the game and try to come back, but it is a tough thing to do because you feel almost unmotivated. Sixteen in the first is pretty tough and we know the rules are different in the playoffs so that makes it even harder for the comeback, but you have to stay in it and never give up.”
They did go down swinging. They scored three runs in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Aiden Nestor and LeBold before Hacker flew out deep to center for the final out of the season.
“At the end of the day we’re two-and-out,” Holt said. “It’s not where we want to be, but I try to look at the big picture. We’ve established a program here that’s expected to be in the playoffs now. It’s no long an ‘if we make it” kind of deal. That’s something to hang our hat on.”
The opener started well for the Mighty Oaks (23-28), as they held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 after batting in the third. Hacker, playing in his 100th game in a Salem uniform, homered in the first inning. LeBold put them up 2-1 in the third with an RBI single.
Salem starter Pat Seitzinger got one time through the Brookdale lineup with just one run scoring, but the Jersey Blues got him the second time around, batting around to score four in the third. Reliever Louie Rivera didn’t have Seitzinger’s early luck as the Blues reached him for four runs across two innings in his only time through their lineup.
The Blues scored four in the third on a leadoff walk and five consecutive singles and five in the fourth, highlighted by Nicco Maribo’s RBI double that ended Seitzinger’s day and Pizzuti’s first two-run homer off Rivera.
“They didn’t really hit a lot of balls hard in my opinion,” Seitzinger said. “They had four ‘real’ hits in my opinion. The rest were endcap singles; tough break.
“I was confident. The first inning went well, struck a kid out (Pizzuti). Second inning they hit that home run, but a solo shot, don’t really hurt. Third inning they got some lucky hits in my opinion and gave up four runs. It’s tough.”
Hacker drove in the Mighty Oaks’ third run of the opener with a single in the fifth. It was his 94th career RBI, tying Demetrius Deramus for second on the school’s all-time list since the program’s revival. He finished his Salem career as the school’s all-time leader in stolen bases since the revival (92) and second in hits (121).
Holt called him “a heck of a baseball player.” The Florida native appreciated the compliment and the faith the coach placed in him from the start.
“I think Coach Holt took a chance on me (when) no one did,” Hacker said. “All the stuff in high school, getting injured, that kind of stuff, it was like I quit baseball. I get it, but he brought me in, took a chance on me and gave me a shot, and that allowed me to prove myself not only to him, but to myself again and everyone else in the country. If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to show my skill set.”
Salem CC
101
100
0-
3
5
4
Brookdale
014
510
x-
11
15
1
WP: Gary Perone (8-0). LP: Pat Seitzsinger. (3-6). 2B: Nicco Maribo (B), Casey Gardiner (B). HR: Ryan Adams (B), Tyler Hacker (S).
Salem CC
000
03-
3
5
3
Brookdale
(16)20
0x-
18
16
1
WP: T.J. Legere (5-2). LP: Logan Peters (1-1). 2B: Ryan Adams (B), Ryan Tan (B), Ray Mulhern (B). HR: Anthony Pizzuti 2 (B)
Salem CC baseball coach John Holt puts the finishing touches on his Game 1 lineup card.
Here are the scores and highlights from Friday night’s Salem County sports calendar; includes Saturday’s schedule
FRIDAY’S GAMES SOFTBALL CLEARVIEW 11, SCHALICK 4: Sienna Garrison hit her eighth homer of the season and Ella Redheffer homered twice as Clearview rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Garrison’s three-run homer in fourth inning put the Pioneers (13-5) ahead 6-4. Redheffer’s first homer got them on the board in the third and her second gave them an 8-4 lead. Khloe McGrath had three hits for the Cougars (11-4). Emma Cain had two.
DEPTFORD 16, SALEM 6: The Spartans (7-11) broke it open with a 10-run third inning. Teyla Solimon had a two-run single and bases-loaded walk in the big inning. Solimon, Brooke White and Sophie McGuire all had three RBIs in the game.
COLLEGE BASEBALL Region XIX Tournament Camden 12-6, RCSJ-Cumberland 2-5, Camden wins series 2-0 Middlesex 11-14, Northampton 6-4, Middlesex wins series 2-0 RCSJ-Gloucester 10-13, Montgomery 2-1, RCSJ-G wins series 2-0
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE BASEBALL Lee Ware Tournament, Woodstown Woodstown vs. Camden Catholic, 10 a.m. Cherry Hill East vs. Washington Twp., 10 a.m. Consolation game, 1 p.m. Championship game, 1 p.m. SOFTBALL Fred Powell Invitational, Williamstown Woodstown vs. Williamstown, 9 a.m. Mainland vs. Cumberland, 9 a.m. Cherry Hill East vs. Absegami, 9 a.m. Moorestown vs. Cedar Creek, 9 a.m. Woodstown vs. Mainland or Cumberland, 11:30 a.m. COLLEGE BASEBALL Region XIX Tournament Salem CC at Brookdale (2), 11 a.m.
Wilmington University men’s assistant tabbed as the new women’s basketball coach at Salem CC; one former Mighty Oaks player who has come under his wing gives high praise
UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Wilmington University men’s basketball assistant J.J. Rapczynski will be the new Salem Community College women’s basketball coach, pending approval by the board at its meeting next week.
Rapczynski, a former Ursinus College guard, just completed his third season with the WilmU men’s team. He also was associate head men’s coach at Immaculate, and coached at West Chester, Widener and Neumann.
“I’ve known who he is for a long time,” Salem athletics director Bob Hughes said. “He comes from a long line of basketball people.”
The Mighty Oaks received 90 applications for the position. Rapczynski was among five finalists who included a longtime South Jersey high school head coach, two women’s assistant coaches from within Region XIX and a former Division I women’s player just starting her coaching career.
“He clearly had an understanding of recruiting in-state (and) knowledge of the region,” Hughes said. “He really seemed to the best fit … the one who the committee felt would work well here.”
Coach Rap scores high marks with one former Salem CC player, who predicts he’ll become a “historically great coach” with the Mighty Oaks. Akeem Taylor transferred to WilmU after leading the Mighty Oaks to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 national tournament and worked with Rapczynski on a daily basis.
“Coach Rap is a great coach with a high-level basketball IQ and a real understanding of the game,” Taylor said. “He’s big on player development and puts a lot of time into helping players improve their skills, confidence and overall approach. He holds players accountable, but also supports them, so you grow both on and off the court. He’s detail-oriented, communicates well and knows how to build relationships with his players.
“I think he will end up being a historically great coach at Salem and build a very successful program on and off the court.”
Rapczynski succeeds Brian Marsh, who stepped aside after a tumultuous 2025-26 season cut short with three games left when the arrest of four players left by the team without enough players to field a competitive team. Marsh coached the program through the first three seasons of its revival. He was 23-43 with a high-water mark of 11 wins last season.
Rapczynski brings a diverse collegiate coaching background to Salem, with experience across NCAA Division II and Division III programs on both the men’s and women’s sides of the game. He most recently served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Wilmington University, a position he has held since August 2023.
Prior to Wilmington, Rapczynski spent four seasons as the Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Immaculata University from 2019-2023. During that same stretch, he also worked with East Coast Power AAU as a National Coach and Skills Academy instructor, helping develop high-level student-athletes throughout the region.
His coaching résumé also includes a season as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Neumann University during the 2018-19 season, along with assistant coaching stops at West Chester University from 2016-18 and Widener University from 2012-16.
Rapczynski said he was “incredibly grateful” for the chance to become the Mighty Oaks’ head coach.
“I want to thank the college for the trust they’ve placed in me, and I cannot wait to get to work,” he said in a statement when the school announced his hiring Thursday. “I look forward to bringing enthusiasm and a strong culture back to the women’s program.
“One of the things that stood out to me most about Salem Community College was the momentum surrounding the school, the quality of the facilities, the positive campus environment, and most importantly, the people. I want our program to reflect that same standard every single day in everything we do. The people immediately made this opportunity feel special. From the administration to the staff, there’s a genuine sense of support, pride, and positivity throughout campus, and I’m excited to build a women’s basketball program that reflects that same culture.”
Ocean’s win over Montgomery gives Salem CC seventh seed in upcoming Region XIX playoffs, Mighty Oaks open post season at Brookdale as opposed to RCSJ-Gloucester
MONDAY REGION XIX BASEBALL Camden 30, Delaware County 0 Ocean 12, Montgomery 11 RCSJ-Gloucester 9, Atlantic Cape 2
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
For one night, the Salem CC baseball team became big fans of an Ocean CC Vikings team they swept in three close games earlier this season.
The Mighty Oaks needed a little help to enhance their position for the upcoming Region XIX playoffs and they got it in the way of Ocean’s 12-11 win over Montgomery.
With the result in Toms River, the Mighty Oaks finish seventh in the Region XIX Division III standings and projected to play at region runner-up Brookdale in the opening round series that starts Saturday. Had the Ocean-Montco game gone the other way, the Mighty Oaks would have been reduced to the eighth seed due to tiebreakers and destined to open the tournament at top-seeded, three-time defending national champion RCSJ-Gloucester, a team that beat them in three one-sided games on Sophomore Weekend.
“The Oaks were all Vikings fans today,” first baseman Tyler Hacker said. “We all watched the game.”
The projected first-round pairings: Montgomery (17-16) at RCSJ-Gloucester (34-10), Northampton (30-17) at Middlesex (33-15), Salem CC (23-26) at Brookdale (38-10-1), Camden (25-15) at RCSJ-Cumberland (32-11-1).
“We’re excited to be a seventh seed as opposed to an eighth,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “Excited to be back in the regionals and establish Salem as a program that’s expected to be there year after year.
“I feel like if we play the way we are capable and play Salem baseball we can compete with anyone. Both of the teams we could have played are among the best in the country. Looking forward to the opportunity to get after it against the best.”
The Mighty Oaks were swept by Brookdale in the season series split apart by the weather that plagued the early portion of their schedule. They lost the doubleheader in early March right before their Myrtle Beach trip (17-7, 6-3) and lost Game Three a month later 21-5. They led Game Two 3-0 in the second inning, then gave up four unearned runs.
“Playing Brookdale or Gloucester, they got us during the regular season and we want to beat both,” Hacker said. “The closest games we had were with Brookdale, so we’re looking forward to playing them. We hit their pitching well, just came down to playing defense those games and we didn’t have it. Since then we’ve cleaned up our defense and are looking forward to winning two and meeting Gloucester back in the Final Four like last year.”
Here is the Salem County sports calendar for the week of May 4-10
MONDAY, MAY 4 BASEBALL Glassboro at Penns Grove LEAP at Salem Tech Salem at Pennsville Delran at Woodstown, 4:15 p.m. Bridgeton vs. Schalick, Elmer LL, 6 p.m. SOFTBALL LEAP at Salem Tech, 3:45 p.m. Pitman at Penns Grove Schalick at Triton West Deptford at Pennsville Cinnaminson at Woodstown, 4:15 p.m. BOYS GOLF Schalick vs. Pitman, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m. Woodstown vs. Lower Cape May, Town & Country, 3:45 p.m. GIRLS GOLF Schalick vs. Kingsway, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m. TENNIS Woodstown at Overbrook, 3:45 p.m. TRACK Clayton at Salem Woodstown in Haddonfield Invitational, 5 p.m. BOYS VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at Highland, 3:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 5 BASEBALL Penns Grove at Glassboro Pitman at Salem Salem Tech at Wildwood Schalick at Overbrook
52nd Diamond Classic First-round games Pennsville at No. 4 Cherry Hill West Woodstown at No. 3 St. Augustine
SOFTBALL Penn Tech at Salem Tech, 3:45 p.m. Overbrook at Schalick Pennsville at Clayton Penns Grove at Glassboro Woodstown at Maple Shade, 4:30 p.m. Salem at Pitman, 6 p.m. GOLF NJSIAA Playoffs, Cream Ridge GC, 3:30 p.m. Schalick vs. Gloucester Catholic, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m. Salem Tech vs. Pennsville, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m. TENNIS Bridgeton at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Woodstown at Highland, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Clayton Schalick at Wildwood, 4:15 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 BASEBALL Clayton at Pennsville
52nd Diamond Classic First-round game Schalick at Doane
SOFTBALL Millville at Woodstown Salem Tech at Cape May Tech GIRLS GOLF Schalick vs. Washington Twp., The Birches, 3:30 p.m. TENNIS Burlington Twp. at Pennsville Woodstown at Millville TRACK TCC Showcase, Delsea, 3:30 p.m. GIRLS LACROSSE Haddonfield at Woodstown
THURSDAY, MAY 7 BASEBALL Clayton at Salem Overbrook at Woodstown Pennsville at Wildwood Penns Grove at Schalick SOFTBALL Salem at Clayton Schalick at Penns Grove Woodstown at Overbrook, 4:30 p.m. Wildwood at Pennsville BOYS GOLF Carl Arena Tournament, Blue Heron GC TENNIS Pennsville at GCIT, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Williamstown Washington Twp. at Schalick BOYS LACROSSE Triton at Woodstown
FRIDAY, MAY 8 BASEBALL Schalick at Collingswood SOFTBALL Deptford at Salem Schalick at Clearview TENNIS Schalick at Pitman Wildwood at Penns Grove Woodstown at Middle Twp.
SATURDAY, MAY 9 BASEBALL Lee Ware Tournament, Woodstown Woodstown vs. Camden Catholic, 10 a.m. Cherry Hill East vs. Washington Twp., 10 a.m. Consolation game, noon Championship game, noon SOFTBALL Fred Powell Invitational, Williamstown Woodstown vs. Williamstown, 9 a.m. Mainland vs. Cumberland, 9 a.m. Cherry Hill East vs. Absegami, 9 a.m. Moorestown vs. Cedar Creek, 9 a.m. Woodstown vs. Mainland or Cumberland, 11:30 a.m. COLLEGE BASEBALL Region XIX Tournament Salem CC at Brookdale (2)
Salem CC baseball gets into the Region XIX field of eight without a play-in game after sweeping Union Saturday, looking for help from eliminated Ocean to get a better seed
REGION XIX BASEBALL Saturday’s Games Salem CC 16-8, Union 2-5 Camden 6-16, Northampton 5-5 Middlesex 5-10, Atlantic Cape 0-0 RCSJ-Gloucester 19-19, Delaware County 0-2 Brookdale 7-14, Ocean 1-5 RCSJ-Cumberland 4-22, Bergen 0-1 CCBC-Essex 7-13, Lackawanna 6-5
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The Salem CC baseball team got what it needed in the first game of Saturday’s regular-season ending doubleheader with Union. The Mighty Oaks got what they wanted from the day in the nightcap, but they had to work for it.
The Mighty Oaks secured the final spot in the eight-team Region XIX Division III playoff bracket with an dominating 16-2 rout in the opener, then they rallied from four runs down midway through the nightcap to win that 8-5 and give themselves a chance at a more favorable seed.
The doubleheader — and series — sweep, along with Brookdale’s sweep of Ocean, allowed the Mighty Oaks (23-26, 18-15) to make the bracket without having to deal with a play-in game with Ocean. Now they’ll become the biggest Ocean fans, hoping the Vikings can knock off Montgomery County Monday to give the Mighty Oaks the seventh seed and avoid top seed and three-time defending national champion RCSJ-Gloucester in the opening round.
If Montco wins the Monday game, the Mustangs and Mighty Oaks would finish tied for seventh in the standings, but Salem would be the eighth seed since the Mustangs hold the tiebreaker. The best-of-3 first-round series start Saturday at the sites of the top four seeds.
“We needed to win,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “We needed to control what we can control. We can control winning baseball games. We can’t control what happens with the other series that were going on. We just needed to control the variables we could control and we did that.
“At the end of the day the gameplan from the beginning was to win all three. Winning two out of three wasn’t an option. All along it’s we’ve got to win three. We did what we had to do to figure out how to win. It wasn’t pretty, but we figured it out.”
After having their way with the Owls (7-29) in the opener, the Mighty Oaks were held scoreless for the first four innings of the nightcap.
Meanwhile, the Owls scored four in the third as Salem starter Logan Peters lost the plate and his defense lost the handle. The Owls threatened again in the fourth, but Nick Reckard came on to get the final out of the inning before giving way to Tyler Hacker for the final three innings or however long it was going to take for the Mighty Oaks to pull it out.
They came to life in the fifth and tied the game on a pair of two-run singles by J.J. Pankowski and Hacker. Pankowski had two hits in the game and was on base in all three innings Salem scored down the stretch.
“When the inning starts I’m always telling the two batters before me get on for me because I know I’ll do the job,” the second baseman said. “Coach is always saying ‘pass the stick,’ so I just try to do my job, do whatever I can to get myself a ribbie and help the team get a rally going.”
Union retook the lead with an unearned run off Hacker in the bottom of the fifth, but Salem took it back for good in the sixth when Owls second baseman Hengel Brown threw to the first base side of the plate trying to cut down a run Pankowski’s ground ball and Roman Hernandez took a pitch off the helmet after the Owls intentionally walked Hacker in front of him to load the bases.
“I’m not looking to get hit by a pitch, but I am looking to get on base and get that winning run in no matter what it is,” Hernandez said. “It could’ve been a walk, a wild pitch, anything I could’ve done to help my team out. They’ve had my back, they’ve always cheered me on this entire season, it’s the least I can do to take one for the team.
“They intentionally walked Hacker to get to me, so I kind of took that personal, to be honest with you. The first couple swings I decided to swing for the fences a little bit, but then I realized that’s not the approach I needed to be having. I adjusted and got the game winning run.”
They added two insurance runs in the seventh on Chase Hortiz’ long sacrifice fly to left and Jason LeBold’s RBI single that handcuffed the third baseman.
Hacker stared down threats in each of his first two innings on the mound. He gave up the run in the fifth and In the sixth the Owls loaded the bases with one out, but he got out of it with a strikeout and ground out to third.
“I love it,” the sophomore right-hander said of the pressure. “You’ve probably heard the expression pressure make diamonds and if you want to be the best you’ve got to shine the brightest. No matter who the team is, no matter who we play, when we play them, how we play them, I want to win and if it’s up to me I’m going to make it happen.
“I think my willingness to win rubs off on the team, so whatever needs to happen needs to happen. It’s easier to rally around someone who wants to win and is busting his butt to do that. I have full confidence in my guys. Even after the couple errors. It was like we’re gonna get these runs back and we’re gonna shut ’em down.”
Salem CC’s Tyler Hacker (L) breaks for second and his 60th stolen base of the season in Saturday’s first game,
Holt handed the ball to Pat Seitzinger for the game that would get the Mighty Oaks in the playoffs. Seitzinger, pitching on Carneys Point mound for only the third time in 12 appearances this season, although it was technically a road game.
The sophomore left-hander threw 90 pitches over five innings, giving up two runs, five hits and struck out four. He walked two and hit two. Joe D’Amato worked the last two, facing eight batters, striking out three and getting a double play.
“I felt good,” Seitzinger said. “I pitched in a big game last year, probably the biggest game, so I didn’t feel any pressure. I didn’t really have everything, but I felt good enough to win.”
The Mighty Oaks had 10 hits in the first game, but took advantage of five Union errors and 20 walks and three hit batsmen. Every batter in the lineup reached base at least once. Eight of the nine spots in the lineup scored at least one run.
Colin McLaughlin enjoyed his first-ever four-hit college game, going 4-for-4 with a sacrifice fly. The freshman third baseman kept it going in the nightcap with a single in his first at-bat and two walks in four plate appearances. He had been three for his last 26, but had cut down on his early-season strikeouts considerably.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “I feel as of recently I’ve been making pretty good contact here and it just felt really good to see those balls finally dropping, to see something go my way. Nothing changed at the plate, those balls were just falling today.”
Unlike Friday’s series opener that was tighter than it should’ve been, the Mighty Oaks took control of their destiny with three runs in each of the first three innings. Hernandez had a two-run double in the first, Hacker had a two-run single in the second, and McLaughlin’s sacrifice fly and two bases-loaded walks (among five passes in a row) highlighted the third.
NOTES: The Mighty Oaks serenades assistant coach Jake MacNellis with a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” in the outfield huddle after the game … Hacker picked up his national leading 60th stolen base of the season in the opener. He needs eight for 100 in his JUCO career … If the playoffs were to start today, RCSJ-Gloucester would host Montco, Brookdale would host Salem, RCSJ-Cumberland would host Northampton and Middlesex would host Camden. There are six game the next two days that would impact the standings, the most significant for Salem being Montco at Ocean.
Salem
333
141
1-
16
10
0
Union
010
100
0-
2
5
1
WP: Pat Seitzinger. LP: Edwin Oyolo.
Salem
000
042
2-
8
7
5
Union
004
010
0-
5
5
5
WP: Tyler Hacker. LP: Joseph Valdez.
REGION XIX D-III
R19
ALL
GSAC
RCSJ-Gloucester
27-5
33-10
19-5
Brookdale
25-8
38-10-1
20-5
RCSJ-Cumberland
24-9
32-11-1
18-6
Middlesex
23-10
33-15
18-8
Camden
21-11
24-15
14-10
Northampton
21-11
30-17
SALEM CC
18-15
23-26
15-11
Montgomery
17-15
17-15
Ocean
15-18
18-21
10-15
Bergen
11-22
13-29
11-16
Atlantic Cape
5-27
5-27
2-22
Union
3-28
7-31
0-25
Delaware County
1-32
2-32
SUNDAY’S GAMES Union at Northampton (2) Monroe-Bronx at Brookdale Suffolk CC at Middlesex (2) Sussex at UConn-Avery Point (2) MONDAY’S GAMES Camden at Delaware County, resumption Montgomery at Ocean RCSJ-Gloucester at Atlantic Cape Bucks County at Northampton
Mighty Oaks in position to clinch a Region XIX playoff berth in final doubleheader of regular season after getting past Union in series opener
REGION 19 BASEBALL Friday’s Games Salem CC 11, Union 7 Brookdale 25, Ocean 6 RCSJ-Cumberland 12, Bergen 0 RCSJ-Gloucester 29, Delaware County 3 Camden 4, Northampton 3 Middlesex 16, Atlantic Cape 8
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The stage is set for the Salem CC baseball team to clinch a spot in the Region XIX playoffs, but the Mighty Oaks still have to take care of business in their final regular-season doubleheader. At least they control their own destiny.
The Mighty Oaks need only split Saturday’s twinbill with Union after Friday’s 11-7 win at The Treehouse to get into the region playoffs, whether it’s the eighth seed outright, a play-in game participant or a better seed.
A split will leave them 17-16 in region, satisfying the .500 or better record in region play caveat for qualifying; getting swept knocks them out. They can avoid a play-in game altogether if Ocean gets swept by current second-place Brookdale (Ocean lost Game 1 25-4) and they could finish as high as seventh if they sweep, Ocean gets swept and then beats Montgomery Monday, which is why they’re so intent on sweeping Union in Saturday’s doubleheader, which has been moved to the Carneys Point Rec Complex (with the Owls as home team).
“We just have to attend to our business,” right fielder Roman Hernandez said. “We played down to the level today, but we have to come out with energy and ready to kick their butt. We do have some pressure to win both of them (so) we can’t underestimate them. We’ve got to do our thing and play our way and not play down to the level.”
Pat Seitzinger is scheduled to get the ball for the Mighty Oaks in Game One. Interestingly, it will be only his third outing on the mound at The Treehouse – and it comes oddly enough in what technically is a road game. And just because they would clinch a playoff spot by winning the opener, it won’t change the way they approach Game Two.
“No, because we’ve got to win that one,” head coach John Holt said. “There’s a possibility of an 8-9 game. We don’t want an 8-9 game. That’s a one-game series on a Thursday. I’d rather control what we can control, win what we can win, and then let the cards fall.”
The game was a lot closer than it should have been given the teams’ positions in the standings. The Mighty Oaks (21-26) scored three runs in the first inning and opened a 5-1 lead in the second, and needed all of it. They never lost the lead, but they couldn’t shake the Owls (7-29).
It was a two-run game until the Mighty Oaks put three up in the seventh on a run-scoring error, Tyler Hacker’s sacrifice fly and Rocco String’s second RBI single of the game.
“Union played us tough,” Holt said. “They always seem to play us tough. Every year at the end of the year they always seem to find a way to make It a game with us.”
“I think some of our guys got out of our approach,” Hacker said. “Their guy wasn’t throwing very hard. We try to hit baseball hard and far, instead of putting it on the ground and doing our job.”
Hacker accounted for seven of the Mighty Oaks’ 11 runs. He had a two-run double in the first, a two-run single in the second and the sac fly for five total RBIs, and he scored twice. Hernandez had three hits and reached base four times. Cliff Wysinger and Jason LeBold both also reached four times.
“We get the stats before the game and see what the pitcher has done,” Hacker explained. “He walked a lot of guys, so going into the game we look for pitches we could hit, we could drive, and that’s what I did.”
Both of the Mighty Oaks’ statistical leaders added to their standing against the Owls. Hacker added two more stolen bases towards his all-of-JUCO leading total (56) on the way to his goal of 60 (and 100 career). Jason LeBold moved into solo second on this season’s Division III hit by pitch list after getting plunked in his first two at-bats. He’s now been hit 21 times – from head to toe.
“The thing for me is I don’t move out the way; I just let it hit me,” he said. “I’ve been called twice for learning into them. I just don’t really move out the way.
“Everyone in the dugout after I get hit by a pitch makes a big joke out of it. I know they find it fun. They know I get hit a lot, I just laugh it off. I had a lot last year for the little number of games I played. The Cumberland game here I got hit five times, in the head twice, everywhere. Now it’s just a big joke with all of them.”
There was a scary moment in the fifth inning when Salem starter Seth McCormick collapsed hard on the mound after his left leg buckled as he delivered a warm-up pitch. As scary as the scene looked, and he was helped off the field, team officials expect the sophomore right-hander to be all right. He already was dealing with elbow issues.
Salem CC lost early leads in both of their Region XIX softball playoff games, were walked off bottom of the seventh of the elimination game
REGION 19 D2 PLAYOFFS Friday’s Games Mercer 8, Salem CC 3 Delaware Tech 5, Lackawanna 0 Lackawanna 6, Salem CC 5 Mercer 4, Delaware Tech 2 Saturday’s Games Lackawanna vs. Delaware Tech, 10 a.m. Delaware Tech-Lackawanna winner vs. Mercer, noon If necessary, 2 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WEST WINDSOR – Salem CC’s trip to this year’s Region XIX softball playoffs started with such promise, evoking memories of their start two years ago when they upset the No. 1 seed in the opening round. But then the No. 1 seed came to life.
Fourth-seeded Salem grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning of their opening round game against Mercer, but the top-seeded Mustangs shut it down and their own bats came to life sending the Mighty Oaks to an 8-3 loss.
The elimination game was even more heartbreaking. The Mighty Oaks took a four-run lead into the sixth inning and a two-run lead into the seventh, but Lackawanna walked it off on Mekenzie Dineen’s bases-loaded triple with two out in the bottom of the seventh, 6-5.
Two years ago, the Mighty Oaks were the fourth seed and Mercer the 1 and Salem pulled off a 6-0 upset. It looked like things would repeat Friday when they scored three runs right out of the gate.
Lilly Peverelle got it started with a one-out double. She scored on J.J. Aguirre’s two-out single, Emme Witter followed with a single and Savannah Palverento brought them both home with a smash off pitcher Jozalyn Sheipe-Warthen’s glove.
After that, however, they managed only three hits off Sheipe-Warthan and five baserunners. They did get runners to third in the second and fourth innings, but failed to bring them home.
Mercer tied it in the third, then took the lead in the fifth after putting the first two runners on forcing Salem starter Reagan Wilson out of the game. Both runners stole bases to advance, then Sheipe-Warthen delivered a sacrifice fly and Karisa Krawiec doubled. The Mustangs added three insurance runs in the sixth, a rally capped by Sheipe-Warthen’s two-out, two-run double on a 3-2 pitch from reliever Jordyn Busch.
Bella Rappa and Palverento each had two hits in the game for the Mighty Oaks.
They were in an even better position in the elimination game. They scored two in the first and two in the fourth and led 5-0 going to the bottom of the fifth.
Busch held Lackawanna to three hits over the first four inning. The Lady Falcons scored their first run in 12 tournament innings in the fifth and closed the gap with two in the sixth.
Riley Knott got the seventh-inning rally started with a single. The Lady Falcons loaded the bases on one-out singles by Mackenzie Adolfson and Gracie Sokol. Busch got Mia Scalese to pop out to short, then Dineen lined a triple to center to win the game.
The Mighty Oaks scored two in the first on Megan Koski’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring error. They doubled the lead in the fourth when Jocelyn Melendez and Rappa raced home on passed balls. Palverento’s RBI double gave them a 5-0 lead in the fifth, her second hit of the game.
Mighty Oaks know precisely what they have to do to make the Region 19 playoffs after being swept by Mercer, get some help from RCSJ-Cumberland
TUESDAY REGION XIX BASEBALL Mercer 12-9, Salem CC 1-4 Delaware Tech 9-5, Monroe 2-3 Northampton 17, Montgomery 4 Camden 11, Atlantic Cape 10 RCSJ-Cumberland 10, Ocean 0 Middlesex 8, Raritan Valley 7 Union 17, Queensborough 3
By Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — The Salem CC baseball team knows exactly what has to happen this weekend if they want to make the Region XIX playoffs after being swept by Mercer 12-1 and 9-3 Tuesday.
The losses left the Mighty Oaks (20-26, 15-15) no chance to have a .500 or better regular season with three games left, but they can still qualify for the playoffs by taking at least two of three against Union this weekend.
They could avoid a play-in game for the final playoff spot by winning two of three this weekend and having Ocean (17-18, 14-15) go no better than 2-2 in its final four games (Wednesday vs. Delaware County and three vs. region current No. 2 Brookdale). In other words, assuming Ocean beats one-win Delaware County Wednesday, the Mighty Oaks would get in by winning their weekend series and Ocean losing theirs.
Ocean lost Tuesday to RCSJ-Cumberland 10-0. Former Schalick pitcher Lucas D’Agostino threw a seven-inning complete-game two-hitter and the Dukes walked it off with seven in the bottom of the seventh.
No doubt the Mighty Oaks will have to hit better over the weekend than they did Tuesday.
Mercer held them to five hits in the five-inning opener and held them the one hit in the nightcap.
The Mighty Oaks scored the first run of the doubleheader when Cliff Wysinger opened the home first with a double, was sacrificed to third by Jason LeBold and rode home on Tyler Hacker’s sacrifice fly. Wysinger had a pair of doubles in the game.
It stayed that way until the third when Mercer reached Salem starter Joe Pallante for five runs. The visitors added three in the fourth and four in the fifth.
The Mighty Oaks were no-hit through four innings of the nightcap. Wysinger broke up the no-hitter with a single to left to load the bases with none out. They got two runs out of the threat on a sacrifice fly and a double steal. It cut Mercer’s lead to 7-2.
Even though the Mighty Oaks had only one hit, they had plenty of base runners. Mercer walked 14 and hit one.
Salem added two more runs in the seventh on Roman Hernandez’ bases-loaded sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk to Jacob Sharrow.
Mercer
005
34-
12
12
0
Salem CC
100
00-
1
5
1
WP: Daniel Dryzga. LP: Joe Pallante. 2B: Mikey Amrheim 2 (M), Jordan Raba (M), Quaren Williams (M), Cliff Wysinger (S), Roman Hernandez (S).
Mercer
211
122
0-
9
12
0
Salem CC
000
020
2-
4
1
1
WP: Gabe Ahlemeyer, LP: Andre Stewart. 2B: Jordan Raba (M), Mikey Amrheim (M)
Softball: Bracket announced
The Salem CC softball team is seeded fourth and will play top-seeded host Mercer Friday at 10 a.m. in the opening-round of the Region XIX Division II tournament. The bracket was officially announced Tuesday.
Delaware Tech and Lackawanna are seeded 2-3, respectively, and will play their opening-round game at noon.
An elimination round game will be played at 2 p.m., followed by the winner’s bracket game at 4.
The loser’s bracket final will be Saturday at 10 a.m., following the championship game at noon (with an if necessary game at 2 p.m.
Two years ago, the Mighty Oaks went to Mercer as the No. 4 seed and one-hit the top-seeded host team 6-0. Two weeks ago the teams played in Pennsville and Mercer barely escaped with a sweep, 8-4 and 7-6.
Riverview Sports News 