With head coach suspended, assistant Smith gets a taste of life in the big chair, directs Mighty Oaks to run-rule sweep of Howard CC; Wise walks it off in both games

REGION 19 SOFTBALL
Salem CC 12-14, Howard CC 4-6
Harford 5-8, Lackawanna 1-15
Dutchess 14-10, Raritan Valley 1-6
Brookdale 24-16, Monroe Bronx 1-2
Orange CC 10-19, Sussex 1-4
RCSJ-Gloucester 2-15, Camden 1-7

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Like every assistant coach in the game Mack Smith aspires to be a head coach someday. She is hopeful of an opportunity in time, given a suitable amount of experience and seasoning. She certainly wasn’t expecting it on a cold, damp day in April two years into her college coaching career.

But there she was Thursday, a 24-year-old mom-to-be making the in-game decisions and keeping things together for the Salem CC softball team that had to play without head coach Angel Rodriguez for the day. 

It was a day that carried a lot of emotion, but in the end it was a successful debut as the Mighty Oaks scored a pair of run-rule victories over Howard CC 12-4 and 14-6. Tessa Wise had the walk-off hits in both games.

“Definitely nervous,” said Smith, whose only previous head coaching experience was one year with the Pennsville High track program. “I knew what was coming yesterday so I kind of had time to sit back and get in that head space that now it’s kind of falling on you.

“But I have full faith in our staff that I knew with or without Coach Angel we can get this done and we can do it for our girls. And they can do it, too.”

Smith was thrust into the position with Rodriguez serving a three-game suspension for arguing – correctly – a play in Game 1 of last weekend’s doubleheader with Mercer. The umpire initially ran Rodriguez, but brought him back for the nightcap after owning up to his rules error. The region office, however, upheld a three-game suspension, meaning the head coach also will be out for the opener of Saturday’s Sophomore Day twinbill against Delaware Tech or Sunday’s set with Orange CC if the Del Tech games are postponed.

Rodriguez spent Thursday’s twinbill in the Pennsville Little League Complex clubhouse alongside freshman second baseman Jocelyn Melendez, suspended four games for a home-plate collision in the Mercer game, properly out of “sight and sound” of the umpires while their teammates played on Watson Field below. He left Smith with one simple but specific instruction before retreating – “Don’t lose” – and talked to the team after the sweep as he would if he were with them in the dugout.

“It was tough, but we knew it was coming; we were prepared for it yesterday,” Rodriguez said. “It was a weird feeling, but I have trust in our coaches and they did what we talked about all week for our game plan and the players executed.

“It wasn’t fun sitting away, but it was fun watching them do what they do. It was a rollercoaster, just like I would be on the field. It was sad not to be on the field to cheer with them, but it was definitely exciting to still watch.”

Wise admitted it felt a little strange playing a game without her head coach, but she said the situation brought the players closer together.

“It was definitely an adjustment, so we had to get used to it,” the sophomore outfielder said. “We have other coaches making the play calls, so it was more playing as a team, rallying together.”

Smith’s head coaching debut didn’t start out well. The Mighty Oaks fell behind in the opener 4-0 in the second inning before their bats came to life. Bella Rappa got them on the board in the third with a two-run double and they added another run in the fourth, but they still trailed.

They won it with nine runs in the fifth. Wise gave them the lead for good with a three-run double just inside the third-base bag and walked it off later in the inning with a squibber off the end of the bat that the Dragons’ infield couldn’t handle.

“There was a little bit of stress there,” Smith said of the slow start, “but we always say they like to make chaos happen and they like to see our hair get gray. I think they find enjoyment in that sometimes. We knew our offense really wasn’t showing up. We were only one time through the lineup and we knew once they got on that it was game over.”

Wise had similar heroics in the nightcap. She capped a four-run first inning with a two-run triple that rolled into the right field corner and turned into a “Little League home run” when she scored on a bad throw and then she walked it off in the fifth with a ball similar to the one she had to end the opener.

“Never in my life” has she had two walk-off hits in the same doubleheader, she said.

“It’s pretty cool, but it takes a team,” Wise said. “If my teammates never got on base, I never would have had that opportunity. We’re battling here for Jocelyn and Coach Angel, so it was a team effort at that point.”

Mighty Oaks come from behind in both games to sweep Camden CC

REGION 19 SOFTBALL
Salem 13-8, Camden 6-4
Monroe Bronx 18-14, Raritan Valley 8-5
Mercer 11-12, Northampton 3-4

By Riverview Sports News

BLACKWOOD – The Salem CC softball team scored four runs with two outs in the seventh inning to break away from a tied game and beat Camden CC 8-4 to complete a sweep of their doubleheader Thursday.

The Mighty Oaks struggled to deliver a big hit with runners on base Tuesday against Lackawanna, but they put the ball in play with runners on in both games Thursday.

The nightcap was tied 4-4 going into the seventh. Ella Hayes singled home the go-ahead run and the other three runs in the inning scored on two errors.

The Mighty Oaks (12-10) won the opener 13-6. They took a 7-4 lead in the fourth. The rally was jump-started by consecutive doubles by Tessa Wise, Jolee Robinson and Hayes. Another run scored when Camden misplayed Jocelyn Melendez’ bunt and the fourth run scored on Chantelle Haskie’s fielder’s choice.

Camden got within 7-6, then the Mighty Oaks broke it open with six runs in the seventh. Melendez and Haskie both had two-run singles in the inning and a pair of errors brought home the other two runs.

“They were decent wins and we played well overall, but there’s still room for improvement,” Mighty Oaks coach Angel Rodriguez said. “We need to stay sharper in the field, focus on our communication and keep refining our timing at the plate.

“We’re getting there. We’re just pushing to be even better next time.”

That next time is a Saturday home doubleheader against region leading Mercer (25-1).

Mighty Oaks handcuffed in high-level situations, swept by Lackawanna in Region 19 doubleheader

TUESDAY REGION 19 SOFTBALL
Lackawanna 6-5, Salem CC 5-2
Sussex at Orange, ppd.
Mercer 21-15, Raritan Valley 0-0
Northampton at Middlesex, ppd.
Dutchess 11-9, Bergen 5-0
RCSJ-Gloucester 14-13, Camden 0-0
RCSJ-Cumberland at Brookdale, ccl

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – A year ago at this time the Salem CC softball team was 14 games deep into a record-setting 19-game winning streak that defined its season. But that was an experienced group that developed discipline at the plate that allowed it to come through in high-leverage situations.

This year’s team is battling to stay above .500. It has a lot of more newcomers and is still learning those things, the way last year’s team had to in its first year together. Sometimes those lessons come with unpleasant outcomes.

The Mighty Oaks came to the plate numerous times with runners in scoring position during Tuesday’s Region 19 doubleheader with Lackawanna, but they saw limited returns in those situations and were swept by the Falcons 6-5 and 5-2.

“We didn’t do a good job making adjustments at the plate,” Salem coach Angel Rodriguez said. “We had a hard time making sure we are attacking pitches that we need to.

“Once we start doing that a little bit better I think we’ll be all right. Balls just didn’t go our way sometimes, and sometimes that’s just softball.”

The Mighty Oaks (10-10) came to the plate with bases loaded eight times in the doubleheader – four times in each game – and got only two hits to produce three runs. They were 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the opener, 6-for-25 in the doubleheader. Their hitters were 3-for-15 after the Falcons pitchers had seen them for a third time in the game.

“Unfortunately that’s been the story of our season,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve struggled with runners in scoring position all the time. It’s just something we have to do a better job of and taking advantage of being able to hit a hard ground ball or line drive rather than trying to do too much with a pitch.

“We’re going to get more opportunities, that’s the good news, so the more we keep getting that the more we’ll have opportunities to make adjustments to see the other side of that success.”

The Mighty Oaks loaded the bases in each of the first two innings of Game One. They got nothing in the first inning, but scored three in the second to answer the Falcons’ three in the top of the inning. They tied the game on Callie Rozak’s bases-loaded HBP and Bella Rappa’s two-run single.

They also loaded them with none out in the sixth inning and the only run they scored out of that came on a wild pitch to give them a 4-3 lead. Lackawanna retook the lead in the seventh on three consecutive hits capped by Laniah Tasker’s two-run single.

The Mighty Oaks never led in the nightcap, but they threatened. They loaded the bases in the third with one out down 2-0, but scored only one run on Chantelle Haskie’s two-out single. They also loaded them with two out in the fourth but failed to bring the tying or go-ahead runs home.

“We have a lot more incoming players this year,” Rodriguez said. “They’re slowing making that adjustment (to this level), but it’s not quite there yet. The more they keep attacking, the better they’ll get. It’s just about recognizing this level of pitching and intensity and capitalizing. “

GAME ONE
LACKAWANNA 6, SALEM 5

GAME TWO
LACKAWANNA 5, SALEM 2