Here are the tresults of the Tri-County Conference Showcase at Pitman GC
GIRLS
Clearview’s Stella Bernardi survived a double bogey on her final hole and a late charge from her twin sister Lydia to win medalist honors. Stella made four birdies in a 1-over-par 74. Lydia made four straight birdies (7-10), a bogey and a par over her final six holes to finish with 75. Salem/Cumberland Challenge winner Nicole Tarquinio of Cumberland finished fourth (81). Salem Tech’s Hannah Kormann was the top Salem County finisher (108, T-11).
TEAM SCORES: Clearview 149, Washington Twp. 184, Williamstown 204, Kingsway 221, OLMA 222, Salem Tech 223, Schalick 243, Pennsville 247, Delsea 252. TOP 5 INDIVIDUALS: Stella Bernardi, Clearview 74; Lydia Bernardi, Clearview 75; Tessa Reilley, Washington Twp. 79; Nicole Tarquinio Cumberland 81; Adrienne Abalos, Gloucester Catholic 92.
SALEM TECH (223): Sophia Conto 115, Hannah Kormann 108. SCHALICK (243): Lena Virga 118, Miya Watkins 125. PENNSVILLE (247): Abigail Bohn 121, Makenna Minguez 126.
BOYS
Kingsway sophomore Nick Fargnoli made three birdies and shot 1-under-par 69 to win medalist honors and lead the Dragons to the team title. Schalick finished second and Woodstown was fourth. Schalick’s Jaxon Weber was the top Salem County finisher, (75, T-5). Teammate Mikey Nelson, the Salem/Cumberland Challenge runner-up, was T-14 (82)
TEAM SCORES: Kingsway 297, Schalick 338, Pitman 343, Woodstown 368, Triton 384 TOP 5 INDIVIDUALS: Nick Fargnoli, Kingsway 69, Christopher Parrish, Kingsway 73; Christian Trabosh, Washington Twp. 73; Ryan Stankoski, Clearview, Clearview 73; Michael Links, Kingsway 75; Jaxon Weber, Schalick 75
SCHALICK (338): Jaxon Weber 75, Mickey Nelson 82, Reed Bucolo 92, Shawn Kelly 89. WOODSTOWN (368): Logan Jones 97, Jack Bucksar 93, Nate Valente 94, Alejandro Vazquez 84. SALEM TECH: Thomas Conto 122. PENNSVILLE: Trevor Hann 103.
Girls medalist Stella Bernardi (C) is flanked by runner-up Lydia Bernardi (L) and third-place finisher Tessa Reilley.
TEE ASSIGNMENTS 1A: Bradyn Skokowski (Triton), Landen Hedrick (GCIT), Christopher Parris (Kingsway), Thomas Luu (Clearview) 1B: Cole Murray (Delsea), Mac Weldon (Highland), Nick Fargnoli (Kingsway), Ryan Stankoski (Clearview) 2A: Austin Tennyson (Deptford), Jaxon Fretz (Williamstown), David Dempsey (Delsea), Jack Kessler (Kingsway) 2B: Braydon Lewis (Triton), Dylan Simonson (Williamstown), Jake Bowen-Ashwin (Pitman), Jaxon Weber (Schalick) 3: Colin Buri (Triton), Evan Hall (GCIT), Christian Trabosh (Washington Twp.), Michael Links (Kingsway) 4: Joseph Nolan (Cumberland), Logan Jones (Woodstown), Max Pappalardo (Pitman), Mike Gallagher (Washington Twp.) 5: David Prante (Deptford), Madden Goss (Timber Creek), Nate Valente (Woodstown), Mikey Nelson (Schalick) 6: Nick Landi (Triton), Jack Bucksar (Woodstown), Joey Zubert (Pitman), Anthony Beach (Gloucester Catholic) 7: George Schultz (Timber Creek), Alejandro Vazquez (Woodstown), Zack Payne (Gloucester Catholic), Reed Bucolo (Schalick) 8: Manntram Patel (Cumberland), Sam Adams (Pitman), Shawn Kelly (Schalick), Luca Calabro (Highland) 9: Jackson Venuto (Clayton), Braxton Gillis (Overbrook), Trevor Hann (Pennsville) 10: Kyle Lex (Clayton), Daniel Atanasio (Salem Tech), Caden Thomas (Pennsville) 11: Angel Gonzalez (Wildwood), Thomas Conto (Salem Tech), Jeffrey Boyd (Overbrook) 12: Nicole Tarquinio (Cumberland), Tessa Reilley (Washington Twp.), Stella Bernardi (Clearview), Adrienne Abalos (Gloucester Catholic) 13: Maahishee Patel (Cumberland), Kendall Stewart (Kingsway), Lydia Bernardi (Clearview), Kaci Adams (Williamstown) 14: Julia Świerczyński (Woodstown), Camryn Heil (Clearview), Olivia O’Neill (Kingsway), Lena Verga (Schalick) 15: Sophia Conto (Salem Tech), Hannan Meloro (Clearview), Isabella Gordon (Williamstown), Emily Devecchis (Washington Twp.) 16: Hannah Kormann (Salem Tech), Claudia Bui (Delsea), Amelia Voronov (OLMA), Jess Alameno (Wildwood) 17: Leigh Ann Nage (Clayton), Gianna Spinelli (OLMA), Miya Watkins (Schalick), Abigail Bohn (Pennsville) 18: Madison Traister (Clayton), Kirra Ritz (Delsea), Makenna Minguez (Pennsville)
Top photo: TCC Showcase boys medalist Nick Fargnoli of Kingsway (C) is flanked by runner-up teammate Christopher Parrish (L) and third-place Christian Trabosh.
Woodstown rallies to take down Schalick in South Jersey Group I softball tourney opener; Pennsville win, Salem Tech falls; Woodstown lone survivor in SJ Group I tennis quarterfinals
SOFTBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Audubon 15, Paulsboro 0 Riverside 8, Maple Shade 1 Pennsville 10, Wildwood 0 Pitman 11, Haddon Twp. 2 Glassboro at Palmyra, 3:30 p.m. (Wed.) Gateway 12, Cape May Tech 8 Woodstown 7, Schalick 3 Buena 14, Burlington Twp. 1 South Jersey Group II Tournament Gloucester 10, Haddonfield 0 Middle Twp. 8, Oakcrest 7 West Deptford 11, Collingswood 0 Cedar Creek 15, Manchester Twp. 0 Haddon Heights 15, Lower Cape May 0 Cinnaminson 11, Salem Tech 0 Medford Tech 5, Sterling 1 Barnegat 14, Overbrook 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – He watched his team hit softball after softball on the button for four innings and get nothing for it, but Woodstown coach Rob Hildebrand remained confident all it would take is one ball falling in play to change the Wolverines’ fortunes.
There was a slow roller up the first base line that refused to go foul, a dropped fly in the outfield, another ball just out of the reach of an outfielder that cleared the bases and suddenly the Wolverines had a rally going.
The dropped fly, instead of being the last out of the fifth inning, opened the door for a five-run rally that gave Woodstown the lead and lifted them to a 7-3 win over Schalick in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs.
“All that it takes is putting one ball in play, I literally told them that the inning before,” Hildebrand said. “The first inning it’s rocket, rocket, rocket and a blooper falls in for our base-runner. That’s the game of softball/baseball. It will fall when it wants to fall; when it doesn’t (want to), it doesn’t.
“That’s why you have to put the ball in play and we’ve got to limit our strikeouts. That’s something we’ve really been working on, having better quality at bats. The girls have only gotten better and better at that as the year’s gone on.”
The seventh-seeded Wolverines looked in real danger of losing to their county and division rivals for the third time late in the game.
The Cougars took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth and Addi Shimp was pitching brilliantly in the circle. The left-hander held the Wolverines to just two hits and three baserunners to that point, and kept them off the scoreboard with the help of a diving catch by centerfielder Noelani Whitley in the first inning that Hildebrand called “the best play I’ve seen all year in the outfield” and robbed Kendall Young of an RBI double or more.
The offense, meanwhile, pushed across a run in the third on Liv VanAcker’s RBI single and two in the fourth on a walk and four consecutive singles. They also had two runners cut down on close plays at the plate.
Shimp was headed for another quiet inning in the fifth when she retired the first two batters on a fly to center and a strikeout. But Emma Hitchner, pressed into her second career start due to an injury to regular catcher Lila Bowling, kept the inning alive with a single to center.
Ellie Wygand followed with a roller up the first base line that stayed in for a single, bringing Talia Guardascione to the plate for the at-bat that changed the game. Wanting to “do something big” after a hard flyout in her previous at-bat, Guardascione lifted a fly to center that looked like it would end the inning. Instead, the ball hit the heel of Whitley’s up-turned glove and after making an attempt to save it the ball fell away to score Hitchner with the Wolverines’ first run.
“That girl made a great catch the first inning and I was really shocked that she dropped my ball.,” Guardascione said. “When I saw it hit in the air I knew I got under it. I thought for sure she had it and I was just hoping everyone was still running. I even slowed up a little bit at first because I was already there by the time they were. It was great to see her drop it. I think she tried to be a little nonchalant (and) it got to her, and then after that it sparked the rally a little bit.”
Leah Clark walked to load the bases. Young then dropped a single in front of a diving Whitley that cleared the bases and gave the Wolverines a 4-3 lead. Maddie LaPalomento then doubled past a diving Kassady Sickler in right to make it 5-3.
“I just really let it all happen,” Young said. “After it comes off my bat I just run all the way through the bases and see what happens.”
“I could tell off the bat it was a base hit but because she made that other great catch I was just running as fast as I could with two outs because I knew I was getting home,” Guardascione said.
For all the balls the Wolverines put in play in the fifth, several of them said the biggest hit of the inning belonged to Hitchner for setting it all in motion. The sophomore had played in only seven games this season prior to Tuesday’s start and had nine career at-bats prior to her hit.
“Emma’s hit gave us the confidence to come back,” Young said.
“I was pretty nervous going up there because my first at bat was not very good,” she said, “but then I just told myself it’s a 2-2 count you’ve gotta do something here. Definitely going into (the game) I was just like I’ve got to prove myself, I haven’t really gotten the opportunity all year, but I definitely proved myself today.”
The Wolverines extended their lead to 7-3 with two runs in the sixth. The Cougars threatened in the seventh, getting two on after two were out, but Clark struck out the next batter to end the game. Clark held the Cougars to just one hit and four base runners over the final three innings to pick up her 15th win of the season, believed to be the most by a Woodstown pitcher since Anna Marino’s 16 in 1979.
It was the third year in a row the Cougars (14-7) were eliminated by Woodstown.
“It wasn’t our best effort; we didn’t put out the defensive effort that we should have and it cost us,” Schalick coach Rick Higinbotham said. “We knew that would be the case, we would have to play defense; we didn’t do what we needed to do. We’ve got to play seven innings of solid softball, not five, not four, and that’s what we haven’t been able to do on some of our games this year. We get five, six innings, and then we have a cluncker of an inning. We’ll get better from it.”
Woodstown (17-8) now travels to second-seeded Buena (18-8) for Thursday’s quarterfinals game. The Wolverines have won eight in a row and 11 of their last 12
PENNSVILLE 10, WILDWOOD 0: Graillyn Weber went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and spun a four-hit shutout in the circle, Avery Watson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Lily Edwards went 3-for-3 to collect her 100th career hit. The Eagles walked it off on Taylor Bass’ RBI single following Reagan Wariwanchik’s leadoff triple in the fifth.
Weber walked three and struck out four while shutting out the Warriors for the second time this season. She threw a three-hit shutout at them with a career-high 11 strikeouts on April 13.
Edwards led off the home first with a single, stole second and third, and scored on Weber’s sacrifice fly. She singled in the second and scored on an RBI single by Watson and collected her milestone hit with a single to center in the third. She’s had three hits in three of her last four games.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 2 CINNAMINSON 11, SALEM TECH 0: The Pirates put together Hailee Hunter’s two-run homer and three consecutive doubles to produce five runs in the first inning to take the upper hand.
The 11th-seeded Chargers (13-6) were held to two hits in their first-ever playoff game in program history — singles by Izzy Roberts in the first and third innings. They did put two runners on with one out in the first, but the Pirates quelled the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
Hunter had three hits and four RBIs for the Pirates (13-11). Mia Zuccarelli had three hits and three RBIs.
Woodstown celebrates its come-from-behind playoff victory over Schalick in the circle with pitcher Leah Clark after getting the final out.
Tennis
South Jersey Group I Quarterfinals West Deptford 5, Penns Grove 0 Pt. Pleasant Beach 3, Pennsville 2 Woodstown 4, Pitman 1 Haddon Twp. 5, Schalick 0 Thursday’s Semifinals Pt. Pleasant Beach (14-4) at West Deptford (22-1) Woodstown (13-3) at Haddon Twp. (14-7)
WEST DEPTFORD 5, PENNS GROVE 0 Carter Watson (WD) def. Stuart Mondragon Aiden Bardon (WD) def. Anthony Pacheco, 6-1, 6-1 Carter Weber (WD) def. Juan Ortiz, 6-1, 6-2 Chase Eagle-Jeffrey Hack (WD) def. Jesus Arredondo-Adan Gonzalez, 6-0, 6-1 Allen Eastlack-Connor Watson (WD) def. Jordan Hernandez-Fernando Palacios Lima, 6-1, 6-0 Records: West Deptford 22-1, Penns Grove 7-9
Here is the Salem County sports calendar for the week of May 25-May 30
TUESDAY, MAY 26 SOFTBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Paulsboro at Audubon Riverside at Maple Shade Wildwood at Pennsville Haddon Twp. at Pitman Glassboro at Palmyra Cape May Tech at Gateway Schalick at Woodstown, 3 p.m. Burlington Twp. at Buena GOLF TCC Showcase, Pitman GC GIRLS LACROSSE Woodstown at Nottingham, 5 p.m. TENNIS South Jersey Group I Quarterfinals Penns Grove at West Deptford Pennsville at Pt. Pleasant Beach Pitman vs. Woodstown Schalick vs. Haddon Twp., 3 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 BASEBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Cape May Tech at Schalick Gateway at Audubon Paulsboro at Wildwood Riverside at Maple Shade LEAP at Haddon Twp. Pitman at Pennsville Buena at Glassboro Clayton at Woodstown, 3 p.m. South Jersey Group II Tournament Salem Tech at Barnegat
THURSDAY, MAY 28 SOFTBALL Penns Grove vs. LEAP, Rutgers-Camden, 6 p.m. South Jersey Group I Quarterfinals Paulsboro-Audubon vs. Riverside-Maple Shade Wildwood-Pennsville vs. Haddon Twp.-Pitman Glassboro-Palmyra vs. Cape May Tech-Gateway Schalick-Woodstown vs. Burlington Twp.-Buena South Jersey Group II Quarterfinals Haddon Heights-Lower Cape May vs. Salem Tech-Cinnaminson GIRLS LACROSSE South Jersey Group I Tournament West Deptford at Woodstown TENNIS South Jersey Group I Semifinals Penns Grove-West Deptford vs. Pennsville-Pt. Pleasant Beach Pitman-Woodstown vs. Schalick-Haddon Twp.
FRIDAY, MAY 29 BASEBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Cape May Tech-Schalick vs. Gateway-Audubon Paulsboro-Wildwood vs. Riverside-Maple Shade LEAP-Haddon Twp. vs. Pitman-Pennsville Buena-Glassboro vs. Clayton-Woodstown South Jersey Group II Tournament Salem Tech-Barnegat vs. Mastery Camden-Haddon Heights TRACK NJSIAA Championships, Franklin HS
SATURDAY, MAY 30 TRACK NJSIAA Championships, Franklin HS
Schalick has game with Collingswood waved off leading in the fifth, two outs from making milestones by Watt, Hartley official; includes scores and highlights from Wednesday’s Salem County sports calendar
BASEBALL Wildwood Catholic 7, Salem Tech 5 Schalick at Collingswood, canceled
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
COLLINGSWOOD – Ricky Watt got his milestone hit – and then some – and Cole Hartley was working on a no-hitter, but the only thing winning Wednesday was the weather.
Watt collected his 100th career hit and hit two home runs to tie Schalick’s single-season home run record and Hartley was building a lifetime memory, but it all got wiped away as the Cougars had their game with Collingswood called in the fifth inning before becoming official because of the weather.
The Cougars were leading 5-0 and just two outs away from the game and all the milestones becoming official when play was halted due to lightning in the area. Once they got on the bus, the skies opened and the umpires called it a day.
“It was definitely a bummer for it to go out in the bottom of the fifth like that,” Watt said. “I can’t remember a high school game that got rained out in the middle of the game my whole career. I wasn’t aware of the ruling. I walked off the field and everybody was just telling me that nothing counted.”
“I was definitely a little annoyed,” said Hartley.
The Panthers had cause to beef, too. They were mounting a charge when play was halted, loading the bases with one out on an infield error and two walks.
Watt got what would have been his 100th career hit in his first at-bat, a sharp RBI single into left field that put the Cougars on top 1-0. He then hit solo homers to center in the third and fifth, giving him 10 for the season. That’s what would’ve been entered into the record had the game been official. Instead, with the washout, he’s still sitting on 99 hits and eight homers.
“That would’ve tied Luke (Pokrovsky) and all of his brothers for the single-season home run record,” Watt said. “That’s kind of what I was more excited for, to be honest, aside from the 100 hits. Not only did it suck for me but Cole was pitching such an awesome game.”
Hartley took a perfect game into the fifth inning, but lost the gem on an error leading off the fifth. He struck out the next batter, then, pitching into a gusting wind that signaled the approaching rain and “messed with” his breaking ball, he walked the next two. That’s where it ended.
He was part of a combined five-inning no-hitter with Jamari Whitley two years ago and a five-pitcher, five-inning no-hitter last year, but had never put one together by himself. He had thrown just 45 pitches through the first four innings with three strikeouts.
“I was dealing, I was on a roll,” Hartley said. “I had a goal of at least getting closer to my 100th strikeout (he had four, still needs 18). I was actually feeling like I might throw a perfect game today, or at least close to it, and I did.”
The Cougars don’t play again until Wednesday’s first round of the South Jersey Group I playoffs. As the No. 1 seed, they’ll play all their sectional playoff games at home, where it’s a bit more challenging to put one out.
SOFTBALL GLASSBORO 19, SALEM 3: Marissa Rode’s three-run double highlighted a nine-run third inning that broke the game open. Rode had three hits and six RBIs in the game. Phoenix Holland had two of Salem’s three hits. WOODSTOWN 9, ATLANTIC TECH 4: Woodstown’s Ellie Wygand ran her career hit total to 103 with three singles. The Wolverines broke a scoreless tie with three in the third inning on Kendall Young’s RBI single and Maddie LaPalomento’s two-run single and built their lead to 9-0. The Wolverines (16-8) have won seven in a row and 10 of their last 11. MIDDLE TWP. 4, SCHALICK 2: Sophia Brown’s two-run single highlighted a three-run fourth inning that gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead and they withstood Cougars comeback bid. Katie Creamer kept the Cougars off the board until the sixth and struck out 10. Alex Shimp had two hits for Schalick.
GIRLS LACROSSE Woodstown at Nottingham, ppd. to Tuesday
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I TOURNAMENT Projected First-Round Pairings (16) New Egypt at (1) Haddonfield (9) Shore at (8) Point Pleasant Boro (12) Gateway at (5) Delaware Valley (13) Dayton at (4) Bernards (14) Middle Twp. at (3) New Providence (11) Lower Cape May at (6) Haddon Twp. (10) West Deptford at (7) Woodstown (15) Johnson at (2) Rumon-Fair Haven
Schalick sophomore right-hander throws masterful complete-game in longest outing of his career, likely to start in Cougars’ playoff opener; Woodstown pair no-hits Pitman; includes SJ baseball playoff pairings
TUESDAY BASEBALL Schalick 12, Pennsville 3 Woodstown 8, Pitman 0 Clayton at Penns Grove Gloucester at Salem Tech Salem at Glassboro
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – Matt Karr flat-out said Schalick pitcher Mason Sanchez played truth or dare with his Pennsville hitters Tuesday afternoon.
The sophomore right-hander threw it up there, dared the Eagles to hit it and the truth was they never did, or simply couldn’t.
The Cougars’ projected first-round playoff starter looked like a righthander version of another pitcher named Sanchez in the Philadelphia market – Phillies’ left-hander Christopher Sanchez – especially in the late innings of a masterful 12-3 complete-game victory over the Eagles,
“That’s what they call me in school, actually,” the slender sophomore said with a smile.
The Schalick Sanchez, who still plays Little League baseball and is proud of it, allowed just three hits, no earned runs, walked one and struck out three. He was especially sharp late in the game, retiring the last 15 batters he faced after throwing away Mason O’Brien’s bunt single leading off the third inning. He threw 94 pitches, 64 for strikes.
“We got our butts kicked – period,” Karr said. “He threw well, shoved it. Threw the ball right down the middle and played truth or dare. Said I dare you to hit it and we couldn’t. Just an absolute, awful, poor, no effort. It’s just … embarrassing.”
It was the longest outing of Sanchez’ career and clearly the most effective. He had never gone more than three innings in any outing before. The Cougars are 7-3 in the games he pitches.
“I was thinking before the season even started what do I want to be this season, a starter, reliever, a starter, reliever,” the pitcher said. “They’ve been talking about it and now we decided on starter. My goal coming into this game was to get at least three strikeouts and keep it under four hits, because that’s just my goal for every game. I’m not a big guy who goes up there and strikes everybody out like Jamari (Whitley) and Cole (Hartley). I’m a guy who goes up there and tries to (get them to) hit the ball. I know my defense is really good, the guys behind me.”
“I wanted him to challenge them,” Schalick coach Sean O’Brien said. “We don’t want to walk guys. You saw what happened yesterday where we give free passes and teams will hurt you. Limit the walks and challenge guys to give you weak contact is kind of what we want to do. He did that, embraced that, and did a great job. If you compete and you’re not walking guys ,hitters are going to get themselves out. You just make the right pitch and you just have to trust your fielders behind you to make the plays and he did a good job doing that today.”
Offensively, it was a complete 180 from what both teams experienced the day before. Pennsville kept the meter running and crushed Penns Grove 28-8, while Schalick was lethargic in a 13-5 loss to Haddon Heights.
The Cougars (17-7) answered Pennsville both times the Eagles (14-9) scored in the first three innings. They finally took the lead for good on Jamari Whitley’s two-run single in the fourth, then broke it open with seven in the fifth on a combination of hard-hit balls, soft or seeing-eye liners and poor Pennsville defense. Ricky Watt had a chance to walk it off with his 100th career hit in the sixth, but flew out to center for the final out of the inning and leave him sitting on 99.
Five Cougars had at least two hits in the game. Evan Glaspey had three hits and three RBIs.
“The good thing about having a bad game and then you get to play the next day is then you can kind of quickly forget about the day before,” O’Brien said. “We did a good job of settling into the game, Mason did a good job settling into the game. We started a little slow, we were making some errors behind him, but we picked it up there and then offensively we finally started to pick things up. One through nine we were hitting the ball hard and we didn’t do that consistently yesterday.
“I just want our guys to just be playing good baseball when next week comes around. Playing good teams and beating good teams is playing good baseball. I think that helps us going forward.”
WOODSTOWN 8, PITMAN 0: Blake Rodriguez and Stone Hassler combined on a seven-inning no-hitter, facing the minimum 21 batters. The only base runner they allowed was a third-inning walk to Payton Miller by Rodriguez and Miller was erased on a double play.
Rodriguez worked the first 5 2/3 innings, coming out after 73 pitches. Hassler threw 16 pitches to get the final four outs.
The Wolverines took control of this one early, scoring four runs in the first inning. Luke Fraley had two hits and two RBIs. Drew Sutton and Sol Elmer also had a pair of hits. Tommy Tucci went 1-for-3 to collect his 50th career hit and Ty Coblentz went 1-for-4 to move within nine of 100.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I PLAYOFFS Wednesday’s First-Round Games (16) Cape May Tech at (1) Schalick (9) Gateway at (8) Audubon (12) Paulsboro at (5) Wildwood, Tuesday (13) Riverside at (4) Maple Shade (14) LEAP at (3) Haddon Twp. (11) Pitman at (6) Pennsville (10) Buena at (7) Glassboro, 2 p.m. (15) Clayton at (2) Woodstown
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 2 PLAYOFFS Wednesday’s First-Round Games (16) Collingswood at (1) Haddonfield (9) Manchester Twp. at (8) Middle Twp. (12) Lower Cape May at (5) Seneca (13) Gloucester at (4) Sterling (14) Pleasantville at (3) Cedar Creek (11) Medford Tech at (6) West Deptford (10) Salem Tech at (7) Barnegat, 3:45 p.m. (15) Mastery Camden at (2) Haddon Heights
Here are scores and highlights from Tuesday’s Salem County sports calendar; detailed stories will be posted on the website soon
BASEBALL Schalick 12, Pennsville 3: Mason Sanchez looked like another pitcher named Sanchez in Philly market with masterful complete game win. Woodstown 8, Pitman 0: Blake Rodriguez and Stone Hassler combined seven-inning no-hitter, facing the minimum 21 batters. The only base runner they allowed was a third-inning walk and he was erased on a double play. Clayton at Penns Grove Gloucester at Salem Tech Salem at Glassboro
SOFTBALL Clayton 26, Penns Grove 8: The Clippers erased an early 7-0 Penns Grove lead with 17 runs in the second inning. Woodstown 5, Pitman 3: Ellie Wygand collects her 100th career hit in her first at-bat. Schalick 6, Pennsville 5: Paige Sparks, down to her team’s last strike, hits go-ahead three-run homer in seventh, drives in five runs.
GOLF Schalick 180, Cumberland 186: One day after beating the Colts in a three-way card playoff for the Salem/Cumberland Challenge team title, the Cougars edge them in a match to claim a share of the TCC Diamond Division title (with Woodstown).
TENNIS Clayton at Penns Grove
BOYS LACROSSE Bishop Eustace 9, Woodstown 7: The Crusaders outscored three goals in the fourth quarter to win. Connor Haney and Bob Waddington each scored three goals for Woodstown. Bryce Downer made 15 saves, finishing his Woodstown career with 731.
Here are scores and highlights from Monday’s Salem County sports calendar; this report will be updated
BASEBALL Haddon Heights 13, Schalick 5 Pennsville 28, Penns Grove 8 Camden Academy Charter 10, Salem 8 SOFTBALL Pennsville 17, Salem 0 Haddonfield 13, Salem Tech 2 BOYS VOLLEYBALL Triton 2, Salem Tech 0 (27-25, 25-18) GIRLS LACROSSE Woodstown 21, Haddon Heights 8 TENNIS Pennsville 5, Penns Grove 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – A division title and the number one seed in the South Jersey Group I baseball playoffs may be firmly in Schalick’s back pocket, but the Cougars know there’s a lot more work to be done.
The Cougars have three games between now and the start of the playoffs – starting with Monday’s 13-5 loss to Haddon Heights – and while the games might not count for power points they still carry a lot of weight.
“These are games we need to try to get heading in that right direction, where we’re playing our best baseball heading into next week,” Schalick coach Sean O’Brien said. “There’s a week gap between the games so I think if we end on a positive note it just sets us up nicely for that first round. So, we’re trying to get playing good baseball before we start next week.:
It didn’t start the way they wanted. The Garnets (15-6), the No. 2 seed in the South Jersey Group 2 playoffs, led for the entirety of the 3-hour, 12-minute marathon. They reached Schalick starter Jamari Whitley for two runs in the first inning, extended the lead to 5-1 in the third and then broke it open with seven in the fifth to threaten to run-rule their hosts.
The Cougars (16-7) scored in the home half of every inning the Garnets did, but it was never enough.
“The three aspects of the game – pitching, hitting and fielding – we didn’t do any of them well,” O’Brien said. “It’s hard to beat a good team when you don’t do those things well. They’re a scrappy team, they find ways to get runs, and we just didn’t do our job overall today. That’s what it came down to.”
The Cougars did manage to avoid the run rule by scoring just enough in the home fifth to keep the game going.
“I think offensively we’re too good to be held down for that long, so I knew we could still get some runs; it was just our mentality,” O’Brien said.
The Cougars just couldn’t get that timely hit to spark a big inning. They left the bases loaded in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings. The only production they got out of those situations was RBI singles by J.T. Fleming and Whitley in the fifth and Wyatt Cushane getting hit by a pitch in the sixth. They left 14 runners on base, 10 in scoring position.
“We’ve gotten better with less than two outs and bases loaded, but now with bases loaded with two outs it’s like a new challenge that we have to deal with,” O’Brien said. “We’re getting guys on, we’re just not getting them in, and you can’t do that against good team. You have to capitalize to stay in games and win games.”
Garnets leadoff man Ryan Govito had a big day. He singled in each of his first five at-bats and had a chance in the seventh to go 6-for-6, but Bo Schalick, the Cougars’ fourth pitcher, got the sophomore shortstop to line softly to second.
“Five is a lot, six would’ve been nice, but I did the job,” said Govito, who had a four-hit game earlier this season. “The last at-bat I was just trying to keep the approach simple, middle of the field, same thing as before. I was trying to get a fastball, but I didn’t; maybe swung at a bad pitch.”
Ricky Watt got the Cougars on the board with his eighth homer of the season in the first inning.
“I saw five or six sliders before and then I finally got a fastball and got the barrel to it,” he said.
Watt had a double later in the game. He now has 97 career hits.
“I want to get it before playoffs hit,” he said. “I hadn’t really thought about (100 career hits) a whole lot; it’s not the No. 1 thing on my mind. But I’m excited about it.”
PENNSVILLE 28, PENNS GROVE 8: Jeff Wagner hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, Mason O’Brien homered and Steve Fatcher and Logan Cowperthwait each had four RBIs. The Eagles scored 10 in the third to break it open and 11 in the fourth.
CAMDEN ACADEMY CHARTER10, SALEM 8; The Cougars answered Salem’s six-run fourth with five in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, then pushed across runs in the fifth and sixth to win. Andry Placencia scored the go-ahead run on a ball that got away at the plate and Lenox Angeles singled home the insurance run. Austin Davis had two hits and three RBIs for the Rams, Troy Carey had two RBIs.
SOFTBALL PENNSVILLE 17, SALEM 0: The Eagles scored 10 runs in the first inning and Savannah Guglielmo pitched a four-inning no-hitter.
HADDONFIELD 13, SAEM TECH 2: The Bulldogs pulled away from a 3-2 lead with seven runs in the fifth inning. Shelby Drummond had two hits for the Chargers and scored their first run on a steal of home.
TENNIS PENNSVILLE 5, PENNS GROVE 0 Sawyer Humphrey (P) def. Anthony Pacheco, 6-0, 6-0 Lucas Cooksey (P) def. Juan Ortiz, 6-0, 6-0 Carter Willis (P) def. Jesus Arredondo, 6-3, 6-0 Jacob Cheeseman-Coen Rinnier (P) def. Jordan Hernandez-Fernando Palacios Lima, 6-0, 6-0 Lucas Thomas-Matthew Forino (P) def. Alan Lopez-Jeremy TeJada, 6-2, 6-0 Records: Pennsville 17-6, Penns Grove 5-8.
Haddon Heights’ Ryan Gavin had five hits in his first five at-bats Monday against Schalick. The Cougars finally got him out in the seventh. Top photo: Schalick’s Ricky Watt crosses the plate after hitting his eighth homer of the season in the first inning.
Cumberland’s Tarquinio medalist of Salem/Cumberland Challenge after historic playoff with Schalick’s Nelson; Schalick wins team title in three-way scoreboard playoff with Woodstown, Cumberland
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CENTERTON — Nicole Tarquinio answered a lot of questions for herself Monday at Centerton Golf Club.
The Cumberland Regional senior won medalist honors after the longest playoff in the history of the Salem/Cumberland Challenge. It was a co-ed mash-up and anyone was open to win,
Tarquinio did it with a birdie on the fourth hole of a sudden death playoff, surviving a spirited battle with Schalick’s Mikey Nelson, who played what he called “definitely the best round of my life” to get there. Both players shot 7-over-par 78 in regulation.
Schalick won the team title, surviving a three-way match-of-cards with Woodstown and Cumberland. All three teams came in with 330 when the counting was done and the Cougars were declared the champions with the best aggregate on the most difficult hole.
For Tarquinio, winning the tournament showed she could hold up over 18 holes (and then some) when nine is the norm, she had the wherewithal to win a tournament and she could play with (and beat) the boys. She had been trying for four years to win this tournament and while she has been the low girl over the years and was in the hunt to the last few holes last year this was the first time she beat ’em all.
“It feels so good to beat the boys because a lot of boys try and show that they’re better than me, they don’t worry about girls being better than me, it’s like nice to finally show it,” the York College signee said. “I’m also happy for myself not just beating everybody else in the tournament, but shooting my personal best, because for a while, in the past couple tournaments, I’ve been struggling to shoot good and this feels like I finally was able to break that.
“This made me feel a lot better playing. Winning this tournament boosted my confidence a lot more, because the last couple tournaments I just wasn’t playing well and I feel like this showed me I can do it, especially against boys, too. It shows me I can do it and gives me confidence as we go on.”
Tarquinio won the playoff with a 20-foot putt on the par-3 third, very similar to a putt she made for birdie on 12 to take her round to 2-over before a tough closing stretch brought her back to the field. She had the same putt on 3 in regulation that didn’t go in, but the feel gave her confidence in the playoff she could get it close.
Nelson had chances to win on each of the first three playoff holes, with putts of par or better on each green inside five feet, but couldn’t get them to drop. He hit a 56-degree wedge from 80 yards to four feet left of the pin on the second playoff hole – with Tarquinio looking at a 10-foot uphill putt for birdie – and ran it past the hole. He got in contention with a one-putt eagle on the 485-yard par-5 14th.
“If I had taken more time, just concentrated on that putt, I would’ve had it,” Nelson said. “After the drive on the second playoff hole I just went back to my soccer roots playing in high intensity. Just keep it calm. I was chill about it. I kept getting calmer and calmer as it went on. Maybe I got too calm on Hole 3.”
Finally, on the fourth playoff hole, Tarquinio, playing from the red tees all round, hit a 6-iron on the green, while Nelson sliced his 7-iron off to the right. He had a firm bare lie and tried to coax his ball over the bunker onto the green, but he found the bunker instead. He got out with his third, but still wasn’t on the green.
Tarquinio had two putts for the win, but only needed one to become the tournament’s first female medalist.
“Credit to Nicole,” Schalick coach Sean Collins said. “She earned it today, but she really earned it over the last four years.”
The team playoff went to an aggregate match-of-cards on the 430-yard, par-4 16th, the No. 1 handicap hole of the course. Schalick played the hole in 3-over, Cumberland in 4-over and Woodstown in 5-over. Jaxon Weber and Anthony Sepers both parred the hole for the Cougars. Nelson bogeyed it and Seth Fisher made 6.
“We tied with Woodstown the last two years for the division, we still have to win a match this year to tie them again, we were at Carl Arena we tied, we beat them at states pretty good,” Collins said. “It’s a fun rivalry we’ve had with them the last couple and the kids all know each other, especially this group of kids, the four seniors who have been through a lot of battles with Woodstown in the county so I’m glad that they won. Albeit a match of cards in the end they’re the champs.”
BOYS GOLF WOODSTOWN 166, DEPTFORD 168: Just a few hours after competing in the Salem/Cumberland Challenge, where they finished third in a three-way card playoff, the Wolverines were back on their home course, Town & Country, and took a tight match from the Spartans.
The Wolverines trailed by four after each team’s top three scorers were posted, but they had a choice of the 45s from Austin Wood or Blake Bialecki to overtake Deptford’s fourth score (51). Deptford’s Austin Tennyson was medalist (2-over 37), one shot ahead of Woodstown’s Lucas Fulmer, who played a clean round with the exception of a triple-bogey on the par-3 fourth at Town & Country.
The Wolverines will now keep a keen eye on Tuesday’s Schalick-Cumberland match at Running Deer Golf Club. If Schalick wins, the Cougars are TCC Diamond Division co-champions. If Cumberland wins, Woodstown wears the crown.
Salem/Cumberland Challenge
TEAM SCORES: x-Schalick 330, Woodstown 330, Cumberland 330, Vineland 425, Salem Tech 447. x-Declared winner on aggregate scorecard playoff.
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
x-Nicole Tarquinio, Cumberland
78
Mikey Nelson, Schalick
78
Jaxon Weber, Schalick
79
Nate Valente, Woodstown
79
Joseph Nolan, Cumberland
81
Logan Jones, Woodstown
81
Maahishee Patel, Cumberland
84
Alejandro Vazquez, Woodstown
85
Jack Bucksar, Woodstown
85
Seth Fisher, Schalick
86
Manntram Patel, Cumberland
87
Anthony Sepers, Schalick
87
Anthony Kaskabas, Vineland
88
Trevor Hann, Pennsville
97
Sophia Conto, Salem Tech
104
Artur Kovch, Vineland
105
Makenna Minguez, Pennsville
106
Hailey Hillegass, Vineland
107
Abigail Bohn, Pennsville
109
Hannah Kormann, Salem Tech
110
Thomas Conto, Salem Tech
115
Daniel Atanasio, Salem Tech
118
Ava Caruso, Vineland
125
x-wins on fourth hole of sudden-death playoff
Schalick survived a three-way scorecard playoff to win the Salem/Cumberland Challenge team title. Top photo: Playoff medalist Nicole Tarquinio is flanked by runners-up Mikey Nelson (L) and Jason Weber.
Here is a list of Salem County’s all-time leading scorers in basketball; documented additions/updates should be sent to al.muskewitz@gmail.com
Boys
PLAYER
SCHOOL
TOTAL
YEAR
Paul Gause
Schalick
3144
2005
Keith Jackson
Salem
1940
1986
Richard Brokenbaugh
Penns Grove
1730
1989
Marcus Robinson
Salem
1726
1990
Joe Hickman
Woodstown
1726
1972
Zach Manorowitz
Pennsville
1679
2020
Mike Holloway
Schalick
1634
2015
Rashan Holloway
Schalick
1622
2014
Kavon Lewis
Penns Grove
1600
2020
Dominique Roy
Penns Grove
1574
2008
Mike Wright
Penns Grove
1551
1988
Derrick Parsley
Salem
1532
2008
Greg Frith
Schalick
1532
1990
Fred Drains
Woodstown
1444
1989
Jawan Roane
Penns Grove
1424
2018
Jerry Dickerson
Salem
1416
1963
Sean Collins
Schalick
1393
1996
Geshawn Davis
Penns Grove
1393
2013
Melvin Allen
Schalick
1355
2014
Ron Michael
Salem
1350
2002
Bradley Rowand
Woodstown
1346
2000
Tyler Lunsford
Schalick
1345
2016
James Rowe
Salem
1300
1997
Dan Feruck
Pennsville
1284
1980
Lowell Fortune
Salem
1255
1989
Brian Sye
Salem
1227
1978
Ralph Kowalkowski
St. James
1220
1955
Josh Hedgeman
Schalick
1219
1989
Luke Wood
Pennsville
1198
2025
William Barnes
Salem
1192
2005
Jamar D. Johnson
Penns Grove
1189
2020
Anthony Farmer
Salem
1175
2024
Jim Shivers
Woodstown
1170
1973
George Seager
Pennsville
1158
1989
Michael Moore
Penns Grove
1147
1991
Gage Ausland
Salem
1144
2020
Butch Karr
Pennsville
1143
2009
Scott Powers
Woodstown
1134
1993
Joe Cassidy
St. James
1117
1983
Clifton Shaw
Penns Grove
1111
1996
Blake Bialecki
Woodstown
1107
2026
Billy McMackin
Woodstown
1105
2003
Joe Mecholsky
Pennsville
1103
1992
Mike Driscoll
Woodstown
1100
1968
Brandon Bermudez
Salem Tech
1097
2023
Tim Buzby
Pennsville
1093
1987
Jim Brown
Salem
1085
1985
Ramon Roots
Salem
1080
2016
Mike Harrell
Schalick
1075
1986
Brian Booker
Woodstown
1068
2002
Keith Robinson
Penns Grove
1065
2019
Troy Johnson
Schalick
1062
2017
x-Tymear Lecator
Salem
1061
Lew Ridgeway
Salem
1058
1975
Eric Spencer
St. James
1054
1990
Tom Summiel
Salem
1050
1971
Clint Hitchner
Woodstown
1050
1996
Jamy Thomas
Pennsville
1048
1994
DeAndre Solomon
Schalick
1044
2014
Charles McNeil
Penns Grove
1040
1956
Jim Smith
Woodstown
1038
1955
Charles Haines
Penns Grove
1030
1953
Bruce Spencer
St. James
1023
1983
Colin Rieger
Pennsville
1014
2015
Terrence Sorrell
Salem
1014
1988
Darryl Gause
Schalick
1007
2001
Dan Yucis
Pennsville
1003
1999
Matt Kates
Schalick
1002
2008
Woodrow Furbush
Salem
1002
2011
x-active
Girls
PLAYER
SCHOOL
TOTAL
YEAR
Katie Kline
Pennsville
2110
2004
Amanda Young
St. James
1762
1995
Sharias Hill
Penns Grove
1661
2009
Brittany Smith
Salem
1623
2007
Talia Battavio
Woodstown
1620
2025
Megan Donelson
Woodstown
1588
2025
Tia Furbush
Schalick
1574
2021
Tori Smick
Woodstown
1566
2013
Shayla Llanos
Salem
1436
2008
Crystal Bailey
Schalick
1406
1984
Stephanie Owen
Woodstown
1381
1993
Marley Wood
Pennsville
1362
2026
Dawn Curry
Pennsville
1288
2008
Tamara Watkins
Penns Grove
1276
2005
Charlie Baldwin
Woodstown
1275
2020
Shaqui Coppage
Salem
1265
2010
Vynette Miller
Salem
1255
1985
Kelli Griffith
Pennsville
1248
1989
Paige Caldwell
Woodstown
1237
2017
Taylor Bass
Pennsville
1237
2026
Shanann Gavin
St. James
1234
1997
Ryane Wood
Pennsville
1224
2022
Carly Lane
Penns Grove
1217
2001
Shaniece Banks
Penns Grove
1205
2008
Elizabeth Hudock
Salem
1203
2019
Marie Patrick
Salem
1186
1995
Hannah Cooksey
Pennsville
1168
2019
Lindsey Minch
Pennsville
1163
2010
Riley Fulmer
Woodstown
1163
2022
RaNiyah Wilson
Penns Grove
1156
2025
Nora Ausland
Pennsville
1144
2025
Tiasia Tatem
Salem
1139
2015
Che’Na Thompson
Salem
1130
2009
Ashley Hansen
Schalick
1124
2008
Bethany Humenik
Woodstown
1120
2009
Kelly Thompson
Woodstown
1115
1990
Latika Ross
Salem
1102
2001
Lindsay Rivell
Salem
1081
2001
Caitlin McCaffery
Pennsville
1080
2003
Natrice Reed
Penns Grove
1065
2018
Meely Horace
Penns Grove
1063
2024
Kayla Mayers
Woodstown
1041
2015
Shannon Pollock
St. James
1037
1993
Christy Britton
St. James
1037
1989
Ashley Engel
Woodstown
1012
2007
Susanne Daly
St. James
1002
1991
Sandy Alston
Penns Grove
1983
x-active
There are a lot of points in this picture of 1,000-point scorers (L-R) Woodstown’s Talia Battavio and Pennsville’s Marley Wood, Ryane Wood, Luke Wood, Nora Ausland and Jamy Thomas. There were more than 7,100 points represented here at the time this photo was taken.
Riverview Sports News 