Salem CC baseball extends winning streak to 12, grateful Stracci returns to lineup after health scare

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

MEDIA, Pa. – The game was over. The players had gone through the handshake line and were making their way back to the collect their gear.

As the Salem Community College baseball players retreated towards the dugout one player turned back to the field, made his way back to his shortstop position, picked up a heaping handful of infield mix and rubbed it vigorously on his right pants leg. Chances are he won’t wash those trousers for a while because of what that dirt represents.

Six and a half weeks ago there were serious concerns if Preston Stracci would ever play baseball again. He collapsed after a running drill in practice and was later diagnosed with a heart murmur.

He only got cleared to play about an hour before the Mighty Oaks were schedule to play Delaware County CC Monday and he met the team at the field. The freshman from Bensalem, Pa., went into the game when Oaks coach John Holt cleared the bench in the fifth inning and even got his first college hit and RBI in the last of his three at bats in a wild 25-12 victory over the Phantoms.

“I missed almost two months and coming back it’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Stracci said. “I’m just so excited to be back with the boys.”

“It’s awesome,” Holt said. “It made the day for everybody.”

A day after the Oaks returned from an 11-1 loss to Northampton the players were doing some running in practice. Stracci leaned against the fence. Something just didn’t look or feel right. He went to the hospital and after undergoing a battery of tests it was determined he had a heart murmur. He was required to wear a heart monitor for the next month to make sure the condition wasn’t more serious. 

Stracci came to Salem as a pitcher and utility infielder and was going to get a chance to show his stuff. Before his “episode” he made two appearances on the mound on the Oaks’ trip to Myrtle Beach, pitched two-thirds of an inning in that March 14 loss at Northampton and had five hitless at bats, but when the heart issue surfaced it shut him down completely.

“As soon as he told me that I was like, I’m going to get back on the field as soon as possible,” Stracci said. “But there were a lot of times where I went to bed thinking, oh my God, I might never pick up a baseball again, I might never run again, might never swing a bat again. When it started going in the right direction, I did everything I could to get healthy and it paid off.”

“It was scary,” Holt recalled. “I went to the hospital with them. His dad and I talked a lot. It’s just good to see him back on the field.”

When the cardiologist in Philadelphia told Stracci Monday morning he was good to go with no restrictions, a big smile crossed the player’s face and he immediately told the doctor “I’m going to go play.”

He didn’t know if he was going to get in the game. Holt considered pitching him, but put him in at short for Yen Rodriguez with the Oaks holding a 15-0 lead.

Between Rodriguez and Stracci, the leadoff spot batted seven times in seven innings. Stracci struck out his first time up. The next time he hit into a bang-bang double play that had everyone thinking the inning was over – it wasn’t, the Oaks went on to score five runs. His third time up was the charm. He shot a ball through through the hole at short that drove in the Oaks’ final run. 

When he reached first base he clapped his hands enthusiastically and his teammates cheered from the dugout.

“I didn’t care about getting a hit,” he said. “Being in the game was enough. I struck out in my first at-bat. I was mad, but then I’m like, oh my God, wait, I’m back in the box.”

The win was the Oaks’ (23-20) 12th straight and moved them a step closer to Region XIX playoff qualification. They can clinch a spot with a doubleheader sweep at Anne Arundel (Md.) Tuesday — a twinbill in which Stracci might pitch.

If he does, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s still wearing the same baseball pants.“I’m going to have these forever,” he said.

NOTES: The Mighty Oaks scored in every inning. The 25 runs were the second most they’ve scored in a game since restoring the program in 2020. They put 26 on the Phantoms in a 2021 win … The first four spots in the lineup all got seven plate appearances in seven innings … Angel Velez had two hits and two RBIs in his first two at bats. He’s 18-for-35 with 13 RBIs during the winning streak … Joe Fekete came off the bench and went 3-for-3 with two triples and five RBIs … Demetrius DeRamus hit a three-run inside-the-park home run in the sixth and reached base five times in the game … Lee Rodriguez took two more for the team. He’s now been hit 15 times this season. The Oaks were hit by eight pitches in the game … Oaks starter John McAllister faced the minimum through the first three innings. In three five-inning starts during the winning streak, he has allowed seven hits, six runs, walked four and struck out 28 … The Phantoms made it interesting with nine runs in the sixth inning that included several bunts and five Salem errors … Overall, the Oaks have won 15 of their last 16.

Silnik sharp as Mighty Oaks continue to advance on a playoff spot, kick Mustangs for eighth straight win

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT, N.J. – Ryan Silnik bounced off the mound after another strikeout ended the eighth inning. As soon as he crossed the first-base line he was greeted by Salem CC coach John Holt who lovingly patted the right-hander on the chest. The sophomore knew immediately what that meant.

There would be no ninth inning and complete game for the pitcher on this day. But he was OK with that.

Silnik gave his team eight strong innings in the longest outing of his college career and the Mighty Oaks moved another step closer to playoff qualification with a 7-1 victory over Montgomery County CC Wednesday.

The sophomore from Washington Twp. allowed four hits, eight base runners and struck out a career-high 12 before giving way to hard-throwing J.D. Wilson in the ninth. But he also threw 114 pitches.

“I knew it was done and I was totally fine with that; I totally understood what he was doing,” Silnik said. “It honestly didn’t feel like 114. The way my body feels right now I probably had one more (inning), but I’m not bummed. I knew J.D. was going to go out there and finish up the work for the day.”

Silnik had gone eight innings in travel ball before, but he had only gone longer than five innings for the Oaks three times and never longer than four this season. Holt has never had a pitcher throw a nine-inning complete game in his time with the Oaks. Silnik may have earned a shot at it, but he had just thrown too many pitches.

“His pitch count was just way too high,” Holt said. “Normally Ryan’s about a 70- to 80-pitch kind of kid, but he had good stuff today so we kept him going. If it wasn’t that high of a number we’d probably let him go, but at 114, that’s honestly we stretched him further than I was even comfortable with letting him go.

“I told him great job, you gave us what we needed today – length – and you did what you were able to do. Ryan works his tail off. He’s worked hard for two years. To see it come to fruition was good.”

Silnik gave up a run in the first inning, but the only real trouble he ran into was in the fifth when the Mustangs put runners at second and third with none out. But as he had done all game he got through it without without further damage. The next inning he had a runner at second with none out and then struck out the side.

“I do remember (the fifth),” he said. “There was a lot of emotion after that knowing I got out of a jam. I remember telling myself out there if I get through this it’s going to be a good day because if I didn’t get through that I think that inning could have ended my day.

“Starting off second and third with no outs is honestly a really scary situation for a pitcher. Even a fielder; I played infield in high school. I’m sure my guys behind me were nervous, but they had my back no matter what. Sielky (Nick Ciesielka) I remember made a good throw from left field and when he came in was like ‘actually I didn’t even know where my cut was, I just threw the ball in.’ I told him, ‘Dude, you made a great throw.’”

The win was the Oaks’ eighth straight win and moved them within one game of .500 (19-20). They have won 11 of their last 12. Teams .500 or better at the end of the season qualify for the Region XIX playoffs.

They get their first chance to get back .500 for the first time since March 14 Friday in a single game at home against Union.

“Even just coming here last year the playoffs is like everybody’s dream coming to the school,” Silnik said. “Just making the playoffs is what you work for all season. Just having this run and the fact we can talk about making the playoffs after the way our season started it brings up the whole mood in the dugout and locker room. It’s crazy to think about. We have a very good chance right now.”

But they can’t afford to relax. The Oaks have 10 games remaining, meaning they must go no worse than 6-4 down the stretch. They would prefer to build enough of a cushion to take their season-ending series with No. 2-ranked RCSJ-Gloucester out of the equation.

“We try not to talk about it,” Holt said, “but what I told them today is we’ve put ourselves in a situation where we can have the conversation but we’ve still got to approach it one game at a time and it doesn’t matter what their jersey says. We’ve got to play to our standard, not the scoreboard, not to who we’re playing. We’ve got to come out and play the way we’re capable of playing; it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We’ve just got to come out and win.”

It also was their second come-from-behind win in as many days. The Oaks answered the Mustangs’ run in the first with Demetrius DeRamus’ RBI single in the bottom of the inning. They took the lead for good in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by DeRamus and Matt Murphy and a sacrifice fly by Jared Vandersteur.

DeRamus, Murphy, Yen Rodriguez and Angel Velez all had two hits for the Salem. Vandersteur had two RBIs. Murphy is batting .478 with 12 RBIs over the last 12 games – a run that started with a 15-10 win over the Mustangs. DeRamus is hitting .429 with 17 RBIs over the same stretch.

The Oaks stretched their lead with Cole Dawson’s RBI triple in the fifth, added Nick Ciesielka’s RBI single in the seventh and got two runs in the eighth. Velez and Vandersteur opened the eighth with back-to-back doubles and Joe Fekete delivered a sacrifice fly.

“They’re coming together as a unit, they’re playing for each other and they’re really learning the college game,” Holt said. “it took us a little while to figure some things out as a unit, but we’re figuring it out.

“This is what I envisioned at the beginning of the year. It’s just starting to come together a little later than we hoped.”