Category: SOFTBALL

Too early an exit

Pennsville LL All-Stars bow out of state senior softball tournament after two games, denied a shot at third straight state crown

SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
SUNDAY’S GAMES
At Dennis Twp.Recreation Complex, Dennisville 
Bayonne 4, District 1/Morris County 2
Toms River 6, Pennsville 2
District 1/Morris County 9, Pennsville 2 (Pennsville eliminated)
Toms River 10, Bayonne 6 (Toms River to finals)
District 1.Morris County vs. Bayonne

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

DENNISVILLE – This was not exactly the place Pennsville LL senior softball manager Chris Watson expected to have this kind of end-of-season huddle. Maybe in Massachusetts or Delaware, but certainly not after two games in the state tournament.

But Pennsville’s run in the 2024 senior softball state tournament – and the eight-year run of the core players in the program – ended with two losses on an oppressively hot Sunday at the Dennis Twp. Recreation Complex.

The District 3 and Section 4 champions from Salem County lost to Toms River 6-2 and then were eliminated by the District 1/Morris County team they beat in last year’s state championship game, 9-2. It was their earliest exit from a state softball tournament since 2021 when they were Juniors.

“It was definitely disappointing,” Watson said. “The heat was definitely a factor; we could see that coming.

“I’m not sure why we struggled so much with the heat and other teams seemed to be breezing through it, but we did not adapt well to heat. Both our pitchers had to come out for heat. We didn’t hit well. We didn’t play defense well. We just didn’t do any of the things we really should do well and we have to do win a game.”

Pennsville looked ready to bounce back from their opening round loss and took a 1-0 lead in the first on Jess Bretz’ second homer of the day. But their fortunes turned dramatically in the second inning when Bretz was overcome by the heat and collapsed in the circle. Temperatures were in the 90s throughout the game with heat index hovering around 100.

Bretz required attention twice in the first game, but persevered. She paused again with two on and two out in the second inning of the second game, then fell to the ground. Staffers and players from both teams, and the facility immediately raced to her aid before the local EMTs arrived. Play was suspended for nearly 30 minutes.

Bretz said she passed out twice on the field. Once she came around, she sat in a tent erected in the circle to offer her immediate shade taking in a grape freeze pop. She eventually left the field under her own power.

After waving to her teammates, she rested under a shady tree and flashed a reporter a thumbs-up sign. She spent some time cooling down in an air-conditioned car and then returned to the dugout in street clothes for the remainder of the game.

“It wasn’t scary,” Bretz said. “It was more scary like I can’t help my team anymore and it hurts (because) that was my last game I’m ever going to play for Coach Chris and I didn’t actually get to play, so that’s rough. I think that’s all I was scared about. Just really wanted to keep going. I wanted to be able to help them.”

Watson said the moment was “definitely scary,” but his fears were allayed by the amount of medical professionals within the team’s extended family who he knew were coming behind him onto the field.

There was a different vibe to the team once the game resumed. District 1 took the lead shortly after the game resumed, added a run in the third and scored three in each the fourth and fifth innings. Pennsville, meanwhile, managed only four more hits and one run on Savannah Palverento’s RBI double.

“It was deflating to the team and we didn’t recover,” Watson said. “It was just a deflating moment.”

Despite the early exit to the tournament, the core group of this senior softball team did have a nice run that included multiple district, sectional and state titles and two senior regional appearances, culminating in last year’s Senior Softball World Series trip. 

The tournament also marked the end of Watson’s run with the program. Next year he starts a stint as an assistant coach in the Salem CC softball program. Several of Pennsville LL players are expected to join him when they become college eligible.

“A lot of banners,” Watson reflected. “I think we have 14 banners. It was a nice run.” 

Pennsville manager Chris Watson attends to Jess Bretz after the pitcher was overcome by the heat during the second inning of their state tournament game against District 1 Sunday.

Toms River 6, Pennsville 2

The Pennsville Senior Stars were thrust into a situation where they would have to play three games to reach the finals and five total to get back to the East Regional after losing their weather-delayed tournament opener.

“It’s the long road now,” Watson said. “We have to win four more games to get where we were last year in three games. Not ideal.

“Not ideal in the heat and the way we came out of that with our heads down not ideal at all. We’re going to have to recover. We’re going to have to get our heads up. We’re going to have to turn things around in a hurry or it’s going to end fast.”

Pennsville just couldn’t deliver a timely hit. They ran themselves out of a potentially big inning in the first with overaggressive baserunning and had multiple runners on base in several innings but failed to bring them around.

They had bases loaded and two outs in the first and fourth and two on with two outs in the third and didn’t score. 

Jess Bretz put Pennsville on the board with a leadoff homer in the fifth (making it 3-1) and then they loaded the bases with none out and only got one more run on Savannah Guglielmo’s infield out. 

“It was very frustrating,” Watson said. “They were hitting the ball right at the girls and they were catching it; what can you do.

‘’That’s frustrating, and it’s really frustrating when we’re striking out. There were girls who hit really well the last games and didn’t show up today against a very hittable pitcher.”

Bretz went 2-for-2 in the game and drew two walks. Gianna Evans went 3-for-3 and Mackenzie Widener went 3-for-4. 

Toms River 6, Pennsville 2

Pennsville0000200-294
Toms River100203X-671
WP: Kelly Forrester. LP: Savannah Palverento. 2B: Mackenzie Widener (P). 3B: Mackenzie Tarzia (TR). HR: Jess Bretz (P).

District 1 9, Pennsville 2

Pennsville1000100-254
District 1021330X-980
WP: Leah Scalzo. LP: Jess Bretz. 2B: Savannah Palverento (P). HR: Jess Bretz (P).

PVLL’s run comes to an end

Pennsville LL 12U All-Stars eliminated from Section 4 Tournament by Hammonton; Senior Softball State Tournament delayed again by conditions

SATURDAY’S GAMES
SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
At Erial LL, Sicklerville
Blackwood 10, Cherry Hill American 2
Hammonton 3, Pennsville 1 (PVLL eliminated)
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House
All Games postponed.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SICKLERVILLE – There couldn’t have been a worse time for the bats to go cold.

The bats that served the Pennsville LL All-Stars so well on their run to a 12U district title fell agonizingly silent in the next tournament on the road to Williamsport.

Pennsville was limited to four singles Saturday and just couldn’t get a ball through with runners on base, falling to Hammonton 3-1 to end their stay in the New Jersey Section 4 Tournament after two games.

Pennsville hit .324 as a team with 12 home runs in winning the District 3 title last week, but had just five hits and a .161 average in their two sectional tournament games at the Erial LL complex.

“The first couple innings we got runners on and we couldn’t string hits together,” Pennsville manager Steve Pangle said. “We weren’t putting our hits together.

“The pitching was better … but we had our chances and we should have capitalized on them. We just didn’t swing the bats like we did in districts. It was a bad time for our bats to kind of go silent.”

Pennsville put their first two hitters on each of the first two innings, but couldn’t get them home. They scored their only run in in the third inning to make it 2-1 when Brayden Weatherbee rode home on Lauden Tighe’s sacrifice fly. 

Hammonton took a 2-0 lead in the second on Lucas Ewer’s RBI double and Roman Murtucci’s  two-out RBI single. They made it 3-1 in the third on Brayden Templeton’s RBI double.

Pennsville threatened in the sixth, putting the tying runs in scoring position with two outs and their top hitters coming to the plate. But Hammonton centerfielder Carter Lolio ran down Nathan Breeden’s liner in the gap for the final out of the game.

“They had a lot of heart to keep fighting the entire time even when we were down the whole game,” Pangle said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way they fought throughout the entire game. They have a lot of heart. They just wanted to keep fighting.”

Outfielder Chase Pangle, who had one of Pennsville’s four hits in the game, called it “sad” to lose, but pushing through the disappointment of the day he said it was “really fun” putting together the success the team enjoyed this summer.

“It was great,” Steve Pangle said of the run. “The kids all came together. They’re all friends outside of here, but they really jelled as a team; the further we got in the tournament, the better they got together and the better they knew each other. They had each other’s back. They had the coaches’ back. They turned into a family. The growth overall from the first practice to tonight was huge.”

Senior Softball ppd. again

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Senior Softball State Tournament was postponed for the second day in a row due to weather-related conditions.

All the games scheduled for the Dennis Twp. LL complex Saturday (from Friday) have been pushed back to Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Two teams will have to play three games Sunday to reach Monday’s championship round.

The eventual state champion advances to the East Regional in Worcester, Mass., where they will oppose Rising Sun, Md., in their opener July 20. MOT/Middletown, Del., also has secured a spot in the Mid-Atlantic pool. The Pennsylvania and New York champs are also in that pool.

As frustrating as the weather delay has been, it allowed the Pennsville All-Stars to get most of their players back who were competing in various travel ball tournaments over the weekend.

SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House
SUNDAY’S GAMES
G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne, 11 a.m. 
G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville, 11 a.m.
G3: District 1-Bayonne loser vs. Toms River-Pennsville loser, 2 p.m. 
G4: District 1-Bayonne winner vs. Toms River-Pennsville winner, 2 p.m. 
G5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 5 p.m.
MONDAY’S GAMES
G5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11 a.m. (winner to East Regional at Worchester, Mass.)
G6: If necessary, 2 p.m. (winner vs. Rising Sun, Md., in East Regional at Worchester, Mass.)

Section 4 LL Tournament
Hammonton 3, Pennsville 1

Pennsville001000-141
Hammonton02100X-372
WP: Brayden Templeton. LP: Cayden L’Ecuyer. S: Roman Murtucci. 2B: Brayden Templeton (H), Lucas Ewer (H).

Blackwood 10, Cherry Hill American 2

Cherry Hill A’s000200-266
Blackwood10036X-1072


Tough opener

Pennsville LL All-Stars drop sectional opener, Senior Softball gets washed out at state tournament

FRIDAY’S GAMES
SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
At Erial LL, Sicklerville
G1: Cherry Hill American 9, Hammonton 0
G3: East Greenwich 10, Pennsville 0

SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House
All games ppd.
G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne
G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SICKLERVILLE – With all the joy and momentum the Pennsville Little League All-Stars carried from winning their first district championship in five years last week, this was not the way they wanted to start the sectional tournament.

Pennsville struggled at the plate, on the mound and in the field Friday night and lost their Section 4 Tournament opener to East Greenwich 10-0 in four innings at the Erial Little League complex. They’ll look to stay alive Saturday in a 7 p.m. elimination game against Hammonton.

The District 3 champions were held to one hit, struck out nine times and were charged with six errors in the field. Brayden Roberts had their only hit, a solid single to center leading off the fourth inning. Their only other base runner was John Swiderski’s two-out walk in the first.

“We couldn’t put the bat on the ball,” Pennsville manager Steve Pangle said. “We were letting the umpires dictate the game for us and we can’t do that. If they’re calling it a certain way, we’ve got to be able to adjust and tonight we weren’t able to do that.”

East Greenwich starter Brian McCloskey pitched the first 3 1/3 innings and went through the Pennsville lineup once. He allowed one hit and struck out eight. Earlier in the tournament he blanked Glassboro LL for 5.1 innings on one hit and 11 strikeouts.

Pennsville starter JoJo Mannino expended a lot of energy in the first inning, throwing 30 pitches, but he only gave up one run through it all. East Greenwich scored and then loaded the bases with no outs, but Mannino put out the fire with a liner to second baseman Owen Whalen and a pair of strikeouts.

But East Greenwich got to Mannino in the third, breaking it open with eight runs. All 13 of their hitters batted in the inning. They put together four hits, including two-run singles by Zach Kenderdine and Mason Trotter, three errors and three walks (two with the bases loaded) to build their big inning.

“That was an uncharacteristic inning for us,” Pangle said. “We may have one here or there but we’re not a team that has multiple (errors) in the same inning that could hurt us. Tonight we just didn’t bring our best stuff as a team. We just didn’t come as our best team and it showed out there on the field. Tomorrow we’ll be back and we’ll be better.”

East Greenwich now awaits the winner of Saturday’s Cherry Hill American-Blackwood game.

NOTES: Pennsville was playing in the sectional tournament for the tenth time in its history. They have won at least one game in each of their last five appearances. East Greenwich was in the sectional for just the third time and first since going back to back in 2013-14 … Ever wonder how Pennsville got placed in District 3 playing in a section with districts in the teens when the low single-digit districts have been North Jersey designations from the start? District 3 had been a Bergen County district since the state organized into 12 districts in 1957, but it was dissolved in 1981 when its chartered leagues dwindled and the remaining ones placed in District 4. District 3 was reformed in 1985 in Salem and Cumberland counties as a spinoff from Districts 15 and 16. 

East Greenwich 10, Pennsville 0

Pensville (7-3)0000– 016
East Greenwich (5-0)1081–1060
WP: Brian McCloskey. LP: JoJo Mannino.

Cherry Hill American 9, Hammonton 0

Hammonton (7-1)000000–032
Cherry Hill American (6-1)180000–933

Softball washed out

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Pennsville’s fifth straight appearance in the Little League softball state tournament has been delayed at least a day by bad weather in the shore area.

All the games scheduled at the Dennis Twp. LL complex Friday were moved to Saturday at 11 a.m., weather permitting, with the games originally scheduled for 11 Saturday pushed back to 2 p.m.

“Totally par for the course,” Pennsville manager Chris Watson said, reminded of the weather issues the team has encountered in previous state tournament appearances. “But it gives us an extra day to practice, I think; our field is in good shape. Hopefully we can get out there and get the bats going again and be ready for tomorrow.

“I think we’re all used to the rainouts and everything at this point; we’ve been doing this for years. The only difference is this year I’ve got a bed cover for my truck so we don’t have to go into a tournament with soaking equipment like we did last year.”

The forecast for an already drenched area did not look good for Saturday.

“I don’t think anybody is really confident about playing tomorrow, either,” Watson said. “Realistically, I think we’ll play Sunday and the championship on Monday.”

If the games are washed out again Saturday, it would give Pennsville a chance to get all its players back from various travel ball tournaments they’re playing in the South.

When the tournament does get underway, Pennsville plays Toms River in its opener, while District 1 and Bayonne battle it out on the other side of the bracket.

SATURDAY’S GAMES
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Dennis Twp. LL, Cape May Court House
G1: District 1 vs. Bayonne, 11 a.m. 
G2: Toms River vs. Pennsville, 11 a.m.
G3: District 1-Bayonne loser vs. Toms River-Pennsville loser, 2 p.m. 
G4: District 1-Bayonne winner vs. Toms River-Pennsville winner, 2 p.m. 
G5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 5 p.m.
SECTION 4 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
At Erial LL, Sicklerville
G2: Cherry Hill American vs. Blackwood, 5 p.m.
G4: Hammonton vs. Pennsville, 7 p.m.

Another sectional crown

Pennsville Senior Softball wins fifth straight age division sectional title, routs Middle Twp. for spot in state tournament

SECTION 4 SENIOR SOFTBALL
(At Middle Twp. LL)
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Championship game
Pennsville 11, Middle Twp. 1

By Riverview Sports News

CAPE MAY COURTHOUSE – This core group of Pennsville Senior Softball players have had a lot of success together over the years, and now that they’re reaching the end of the line they want nothing more than to go out with a bang.

Many of the current players will be opting or aging out of the program when the season ends and manager Chris Watson is moving into a college coaching position that will occupy his time, but they’re showing in this bid to get back to the World Series they’ve still got a lot in the tank.

These girls won their fifth straight age-division sectional title Wednesday when they crushed host Middle Twp. 11-1 in five innings. Now they advance to the state tournament a little farther down the road in Dennis Twp., where they’ll open against Section 3 representative Toms River at 8 p.m. July 12.

“This means a lot because it’s our last one,” Watson said. “For me as a coach and for Avery (Watson), for Jess (Bretz), for Savannah (Palverento), it’s all their last one, Kylie (Harris), but it’s our fifth consecutive championship, so it’s pretty cool and closing that out like that is pretty awesome.

“We tear up a little bit when we talk about it. We’ve been together for so long. This is our eighth season doing all-stars with some of these girls. We’ve been together a long time.”

Avery Watson, the team’s shortstop, said the sectional title should be a big motivator for the younger players to continue. They didn’t have a district tournament to get their feet wet, so the sectional was their first chance to see what the veteran have been experiencing for years.

“I think it’s especially important to the younger girls,” she said. “A lot of them weren’t totally sure what they were getting into and I think the older girls we’ve been a big source of energy and that gets them up and excited for all the games. I guess winning sectional is a big motivator to the young girls to keep competing.”

Pennsville wasted no time getting the upper hand, scoring two runs in the first inning, then put it out of reach with eight runs in the third. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the big inning and scored six of their runs after two were out. The outburst was highlighted by Palverento’s three-run double and Makenzie Widener’s two-run single. 

They walked it off with one out in the fifth when Avery Watson scored on a wild pitch.

The first three hitters in Pennsville’s lineup — Palverento, Watson and Harris — were a combined 9-for-12 with four doubles and five RBIs. Harris was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Watson was 2-for-4 (and made two sharp plays in the field). And Palverento was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Widener went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

“I think we hit better (today) than we did in Monday’s games,” Avery Watson said. 

Bretz pitched three scoreless innings before coming out of the circle with a sore knee. She allowed one hit and walked four while striking out six. In two tournament games (eight innings) she has allowed just one hit and struck out 21.

Palverento pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. She beat Middle in the tournament opener.

Pennsville 11, Middle Twp. 1

Middle Twp. (1-2)00001-132
Pennsville (3-0)20801-11130
WP: Jess Bretz (2-0). LP: G. Hall. 2B: T. Atwood (MT), Kylie Harris 2 (P), Savannah Palverento 2 (P).

NJ STATE SENIOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
July 12-14, Dennis Twp.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
G1: Section 1 vs. Section 2, 6 p.m.
G2: Pennsville vs. Toms River, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
G3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m.
G4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m.
G5: Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAME
G6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 3 p.m.
G7: If necessary, 5 p.m.

Staying alive

Pennsville staves off elimination in the District 3 LL Tournament behind Morrison’s pitching and big extra-base hits by Mannino, Weatherbee; South Vineland reaches championship round; includes Section 4 softball update

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

VINELAND – The Pennsville bats were stifled for the first four innings of their District 3 elimination game Tuesday night, but manager Steve Pangle never lost confidence they would come around and he let his players know it every chance he got.

The bats did come alive in a big way in the fifth inning and now the Pennsville 12U All-Stars are playing for a spot in the district championship game.

JoJo Mannino crushed a two-run homer and Brayden Weatherbee roped a three-run double to fuel a five-run fifth that carried Pennsville to a 5-3 win over Millville American in the District 3 Little League Tournament. They now play East Vineland in East Vineland Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. with a place in the championship game opposite South Vineland in the balance.

Millville starter Vash Jacobs, helped by a couple double plays, had faced only one batter over the minimum through a scoreless four innings, but Pennsville got to him in the fifth.

Nathan Breeden got it started with a leadoff double and he scored on Mannino’s no-doubter of a go-ahead two-run homer. Cayden L’Ecuyer restarted it by reaching on a dropped third strike, Chase Pangle singled, Caleb Fontaine drew a two-out walk to load the bases and then Weatherbee brought them all around with his hit of the game.

“I was confident the bats would come around,” Pangle said. “I just wanted to hang with them, stay with them, keep the score close if not the same (until they did).

“I preached to them the whole game that this is our game. I felt it. I could just feel the vibe how we did warmups. I let them know every inning they came out this is us, you’ve got to have it in your heart right now. I feel it; you’ve got to feel it.

“In the fourth inning, after they got that (go-ahead) hit, a couple of the kids came up and were like I feel it. I said, you feel that? Yes, I feel it. All right then let’s do it and that’s when we had the five-run inning.”

None of the hits were bigger than Weatherbee’s double – and not just for what it did to the scoreboard. The only 11-year-old on the roster, Weatherbee was 0-for-10 in the tournament with seven strikeouts and had fanned in his previous three at-bats before sending his bases-clearing double into right field.

“It worried me some,” Weatherbee said of the slump, “but even major-league players get in a slump. I just kept on trying to swing, hit the ball and make contact with it and here we are today where I hit a double and sent three people home. I was a little bit sad (about not having a hit), but then when I hit it, it was amazing.”

“We know any kid on this team can hit the ball at any time,” Pangle said. “People are going to go through slumps and that’s fine; we’ve preached having each other’s back. You may not get a hit for a while and then all of a sudden you get that hit when we need it. That’s been our message the entire year: Just keep fighting. That was just big by him. Lifted his confidence way up. It was a monster three-run double for us.”

Pennsville starter Nate Morrison was just as unhittable as Jacobs early in the game. He faced one batter over the minimum through the first three innings and pitched into the sixth before reaching his pitch limit getting the first two batters out. He allowed only six hits over 5 2/3 innings, two unearned runs, no walks and struck out five.

Millville threatened once Morrison left the game, bringing the winning run to the plate, but reliever Caiden Colomy closed it out by getting a game-ending liner to short.

“I wasn’t worried at all,” Pangle said. “(Colomy) was the right guy. We had the utmost confidence in him. We went out and talked to him after he got a couple base runners on. We told him we believe in you, you believe in yourself, the team believes in you, this is your game, let’s finish it, and that’s what he did.”

SOUTH VINELAND 5, EAST VINELAND 2: South Vineland answered East Vineland’s two runs in the top of the fourth with two in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, then took the lead with three in the fifth to reach the championship round of the tournament.

Mason Mendez drew a bases-loaded walk to break the 2-2 tie and Kaden Potts followed with a two-run single to extend the lead.

Derek Cuba, the walk-off hero of South Vineland’s seventh-inning win over Millville Monday, pitched the first 5 1/3 innings and gave up eight hits, two earned runs and struck out seven. Ronald Leverette got the final two outs, getting a ground out with the bases loaded to end the game.

South Vineland did manage to get East Vineland slugger Enzo Candelario out once, but Candelario went 2-for-3 and hit his sixth homer in five tournament games.

South Vineland will play the survivor of the losers bracket in the championship game 7 p.m. Friday at East Vineland.

DISTRICT 3 LL FINALS
TUESDAY’S GAMES
(At South Vineland LL)
South Vineland 5, East Vineland 2
Pennsville 5, Millville American 3 (Millville eliminated)
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
(At East Vineland)
Pennsville vs. East Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
FRIDAY’S GAME
(At East Vineland)
G6: South Vineland vs. Pennsville-East Vineland winner, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAME
(At East Vineland)
G7: If necessary, 7 p.m.
(Winner to Section 4 Tournament at Erial LL, starting July 12)

South Vineland 5, East Vineland 2

East Vineland (4-1)000200-284
South Vineland (6-0)000230-552
WP: Derek Cuba. LP: Carter Perkins. 2B: Elijuah Perez (SV). HR: Enzo Candelario (EV).

Pennsville 5, Millville American 3

Pennsville (4-2)000050-564
Millville American (2-3)000111-380
WP: Nate Morrison. LP: Vash Jacobs. S; Caiden Colomy. 2B: Nathan Breeden (PV), Brayden Weatherbee (PV), Carter Robinson (MA). HR: JoJo Mannino (P). Enzo Candelario (EV), Ethan Kleinow (EV).

Section 4 Senior Softball

Pennsville Senior Softball will play host Middle Twp. for the Section 4 championship Wednesday at 6 p.m. after Middle routed Monroe Twp. 20-6 in Tuesday’s elimination game. Pennsville beat Middle 7-2 in its tournament opener Monday night.

SECTION 4 SENIOR SOFTBALL
(At Middle Twp. LL)
TUESDAY’S GAME
Middle/Dennis Twp. 20, Monroe Twp. 6 (Monroe eliminated)
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
G4: Pennsville vs. Middle/Dennis Twp., 6 p.m.
G5: If necessary, 8 p.m.
(Winner to State Tournament at Dennis Twp. LL)

Another big start

Pennsville LL Senior Softball All-Stars open the defense of their Section 4 title Monday by sweeping past a pair of opponents into the championship round

By Riverview Sports News

CAPE MAY COURTHOUSE – The Pennsville Little League’s Senior Softball All-Stars’ weather-delayed bid for another sectional title and trip to the state tournament got off to a big start Monday when they beat each of the other two teams in the field to move into the championship round.

The defending East Region champions opened their defense with a 7-2 win over Middle Twp. and completed the night’s sweep with a 14-0 rout of Monroe. Jess Bretz homered in each game and threw a five-inning no-hitter with 15 strikeouts in the nightcap.

Pennsville will await the winner of Tuesday’s elimination game between Middle and Monroe game in Wednesday’s 6 p.m. championship game. A second game will follow if necessary at 8 p.m.

“I think we played to our potential today,” Pennsville manager Chris Watson said. “Even the new girls made some good contact, bunted well and did their jobs in the field.”

Bretz gave Pennsville a 1-0 lead in the Middle Twp. game with a leadoff homer in the second inning. They added three more in the second on Avery Watson’s RBI double, an RBI single by Kylie Harris and a run-scoring error. Harris had a run-producing ground out in the fifth that made it 5-0.

Meanwhile, Savannah Palverento kept Middle off the board through the fifth inning, allowing only three hits in the stretch and getting some strong defense to allow her to face only one over the minimum. Middle scored its only two runs in the sixth.

“We had a couple incoming freshmen playing second all night,” Watson said. “Van (Savannah Guglielmo), for one, made a nice play to feed Avery with a double play ball and rifled a relay from right to catch a girl going for three.”

Bretz stole the show in the nightcap. She got all her outs via strikeout, faced six batters over the minimum and allowed only one runner past second base. Her grand slam in a seven-run fourth provided the exclamation point.

She threw three no-hitters through the state tournament during last year’s run to the World Series in Delaware..

“Our core returners led on the field and in the dugout,” Watson said. “Jess is a year older and it shows in how she carries herself. She was hearing a lot of noise from the opposing bleachers and she handled it like an adult. The grand slam was timely for that.”

Pennsville had only four hits in the nightcap – Bretz had two of them – but they had plenty of baserunners. They took advantage of five Monroe errors and 10 walks. Avery Watson drove in three runs in the game, two with a triple that made it 7-0 in the third inning.

SECTION 4 SENIOR SOFTBALL
(At Middle Twp. LL)
MONDAY’S GAMES
G1: Pennsville 7, Middle/Dennis Twp. 2
G2: Pennsville 14, Monroe 0
TUESDAY’S GAME
G3: Middle/Dennis vs. Monroe, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
G4: Pennsville vs. Middle/Dennis-Monroe winner, 6 p.m.
G5: If necessary, 8 p.m.
(Winner to State Tournament at Dennis Twp. LL)

Pennsville 7, Middle Twp. 2

Pennsville0130102-791
Middle Twp.0000020-273
WP: Savannah Palverento (1-0). LP: Turner (0-1). 2B: Avery Watson (P), Schaffer (M). 3B: Romberger (M). HR: Jess Bretz (P).

Pennsville 14, Monroe 0

Monroe00000-005
Pennsville3227X-1440
WP: Jess Bretz (1-0). LP: Raylee Dilks (0-1). 2B: Makenzie Widener (P). 3B: Avery Watson (P). HR: Jess Bretz (P)


Salem CC softball moves

Pennsville’s Watson, former D-III All-American Bryszewski join Mighty Oaks’ coaching staff

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – What started off as a simple phone call just to gauge interest in coaching at the next level developed into an unexpected opportunity for Pennsville Little League softball coach Chris Watson.

Watson, the Pennsville LL president and head coach of the league’s 2023 Senior Softball World Series team, is joining Salem Community College coach Angel Rodriguez’ staff as an assistant coach.

“It kind of came as a surprise,” Watson said. “I never really thought about it before; I’m super thankful by wife was OK with it. I wasn’t expecting it to go over very well, but she’s actually kind of excited. I’m pretty pumped.”

Watson has developed this latest wave of Pennsville LL softball players into a state and regional summertime power. Last year’s team continued its progression through district, sectional and state titles, swept through the East Regional and finished seventh in the Little League Senior Softball World Series. Current Salem CC assistant Mackenzie Freas is one of Watson’s assistants.

It is about to embark on the defense of all those titles in a couple weeks.

The Mighty Oaks had an historic season in 2024. They won a school-record 31 games, enjoyed a school-record 19-game winning streak in the middle of the season and won a game in the Region XIX Tournament. Shortstop Ella Hayes was the Region XIX Player of the Year.

Assistant coach Chad Zearfoss has left the staff after three seasons to become the head softball coach at Cecil (Md.) College.

Rodriguez said adding Watson and Josie Bryszewski to the staff “will help tremendously.” He said specific coaching roles will start taking shape once off-season meetings begin, but Watson is eager to start. Bryszewski, a standout pitcher at Immaculata, was a Division III All-American at Moravian, where she most recently served as pitching coach.

“I want to learn all this stuff, all the recruiting and how colleges run practices and games,” he said. “I’m interested in all the little things they do differently.”

Earlier in the week, the Oaks announced several of their veterans have signed to play at four-year schools: Karyn Trice (Chestnut Hill), Haylee Pickrell (Chestnut Hill), Courtney Hoggard (Elizabeth City State), Morgan Mecham (Delaware Valley), Vaye Savage (Rider) and Caitlin LaGreca (Rosemont).

Among the signees they have landed to fill those spots include Pennsville’s Bella Rappa and Lilly Peverelle.

“We’re excited to get the incoming and returners on campus and begin rolling … should be a great squad we have ready to roll,” Rodriguez said. “Adding in Josie and Chris to our staff will help tremendously.”

Big inning bounces Eagles

Audubon scores nine unearned runs in fourth inning to put Pennsville out of South Jersey softball playoffs, snap Eagles’ 15-game winning streak

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
Thursday’s Semifinals
(1) Audubon 12, (4) Pennsville 0
(3) Haddon Twp. 9, (2) Buena 1
Saturday’s Championship Game
(3) Haddon Twp. (19-6) at No. 1 Audubon (18-5)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

AUDUBON – It’s amazing how one play can change the course of an entire game, but when you have a lineup like Audubon’s sometimes that’s all it takes.

The Pennsville softball team was expecting a tight game in their South Jersey Group I semifinal with top-seeded Audubon Thursday, a game the Eagles knew they needed to be at the top of their game. 

An error in the infield with two outs in the fourth inning opened the door to nine unearned runs that propelled the Green Wave to a 12-0 victory to snap the Eagles’ 15-game winning streak, deny them an undefeated May and end their season.

“You can’t make mistakes against teams like that; they’re a good team,” a tearful Pennsville coach Beth Jackson said after breaking the Eagles’ post-game huddle.

It was still anybody’s game going to the bottom of the fourth and the Eagles came thisclose to keeping it that way. But they also were that close from it getting away, too.

The Green Wave had a runner at third with two outs and the Eagles were effectively one pitch from getting out of it, but shortstop Avery Watson mishandled Peyton Marrone’s sharp grounder and then threw the ball past first baseman Bella Rappa when she recovered. It allowed the run to score and opened the floodgates.

The next seven Audubon batters all delivered hits and the next nine reached safely. Ava Grebel got the tidal wave rolling with an RBI double off the base of the short 182-foot left-field fence. Abigail Tole and Emma Speyerer both ripped two-run triples. The Eagles (18-5) also made three more errors that either allowed runs to score or runners to take an extra base.

“We tell the girls all the time just putting the pressure on the defense is key – putting balls in play, hitting balls hard,” Audubon coach Erin Small said. “It doesn’t always have to be a hit, just put the pressure on the defense, allow them to make a play or make a mistake.

“We were able to string some good hits together along with some mistakes and it’s contagious. Hitting is contagious. Fortunately, we were on the good side of it today.”

Aubudon reached Pennsville starter Savannah Palverento for three runs in the first inning before Jackson lifted her for Sierra Stultz with one out. Stultz stomped out that fire on seven pitches and got out of a second-and-third jam in the third inning to keep the Eagles in it.

“I was thinking I had to keep them from scoring and I had to do my job and hit my spots,” Stultz said.

“That’s been her whole (approach) all season; she’s done her job, she’s always ready to go,” Jackson said. “I know she’s ready, but I’m always asking her, but that just helps me give her a mental check. She’s done her job all year and always done it with a smile.”

The smile turned to frustration in the fourth. Stultz got two of the first three hitters on infield outs, but things were about to change – and quickly – as the Wave began making contact with the good pitches she was throwing.

Audubon ended up getting nine hits in the big inning and 14 in the game. Speyerer, Grebel and Tole had three apiece. Tole was a homer short of the cycle. The Green Wave have scored 40 runs in their three playoff games.

“We were hoping for a big inning, we just had to really sit back on her,” Small said of Stultz. “Her speed was a little slower than the first (pitcher). When she first came in we were popping up, we were reaching, so our timing was off. 

“We just felt like after getting through her at least one time we felt confident we’d be able to put some hits together and we were fortunate enough to do that behind some of the mistakes they made as well.”

Pennsville’s bats, meanwhile, loud throughout the winning streak, were silenced by Audubon pitcher Emily Bobo. She held the Eagles to three hits over the first four innings, struck out eight – two in each inning – and turned back their two threats when it was still a game.

The Eagles put two on with one out in the first, but their next two hitters struck out. They loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Bobo got out of that with an infield fly and her final strikeout. Audubon has not allowed a run in the playoffs and has shut out four of its last five opponents.

“You have to hit the ball to get runs in,” Jackson said. “We knew we were going to see good pitching and tried to prepare for it as best as possible, but it was probably the best pitching we’ve seen all season from all 23 games.”

The Green Wave (18-5) will host third-seeded Haddon Twp. (19-6) Saturday in the South Jersey Group I championship game.

NOTES: It was the first time the Eagles had been shut out all season and the first time they’d been shutout since last year’s season opener (Clayton 8-0) … Bella Farina, Lilly Birney and Stultz had Pennsville’s three hits … The Green Wave held Rappa hitless in three plate appearances, denying her a 50th hit at Pennsville and 100th in her career. She finished with 97 career hits … The five losses are the fewest for a Pennsville softball team since it went 22-5 in 2014. The Eagles were trying to get to the SJ finals for the first time since 2019.

Nothing fazes them

Streaking Pennsville rallies from two four-run deficits, beats Maple Shade in SJ Group I playoffs on Harris’ walk-off single

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
Tuesday’s quarterfinals
(1) Audubon 15, (8) Paulsboro 0
(4) Pennsville 9, (5) Maple Shade 8
(3) Haddon Twp. 3, (6) Woodstown 1
(2) Buena 6, (10) Gateway 4
Thursday’s semifinals
Pennsville (18-4) at Audubon (17-5), 4 p.m.
Haddon Twp. (18-6) at Buena (18-6)
Saturday’s game
Championship game at higher seed

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – The Pennsville softball team hasn’t been behind much since its last loss 45 days ago, but the Eagles trailed by four runs twice in Tuesday’s South Jersey Group I quarterfinals and just weren’t fazed by it.

They battled back both times to get back in the game and now they’re in the South Jersey Final Four for the first time since 2021.

Sophomore catcher Kylie Harris’ two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh scored Avery Watson from second and allowed the Eagles to walk off Maple Shade 9-8 for their 15th straight win.

“It felt really good to do that for my team,” Harris said. “They wanted that win super bad and you could just feel the energy in the dugout, so I knew what I needed to do.

“I left runners on my last at bat and I wanted to make my last at bat count.”

Now, a win at top-seeded Audubon (17-5) in Thursday’s 4 p.m. semifinal would send the Eagles (18-4) to the South Jersey finals for the first time since 2019, when they lost to Buena.

The Eagles have trailed a total of two innings since losing to West Deptford on April 13, but were down 5-1 and 8-4 against the Wildcats. The last time they trailed any opponent was 3-2 in the second inning against Pitman April 18.

They gave up three runs in the first inning Tuesday and trailed 5-1 in the third. They made it 5-4 in the third on Bella Rappa’s RBI single and Lilly Birney’s two-run double, but the Wildcats went back up 8-4 in the fourth.

The Eagles rallied for three in the fifth to bring it back to 8-7, then tied it on Bella Farina’s homer to center in the sixth – her ninth of the season – and won it in the seventh.

“I pulled them all together before we went out (for the seventh) and just said everybody take a deep breath, it’s a 0-0 game, we’re going back out, take a deep breath, you know what to do,” Eagles coach Beth Jackson said. “This is all stuff that you’ve done, nothing that you haven’t done all season. They were all fired up anyway in the dugout.”

The Eagles had multiple runners on base all inning in the seventh. They had runners at first and second with two outs when Harris delivered her game-winning hit. It was her 40th hit of the season. She is 31-of-56 (.554) during the winning streak.

“Kylie hit the some bullets right at them and they made some nice catches, so she came up big,” Jackson said. “It was good that she wasn’t frustrated from her at-bats earlier in the game. You keep at it you’re going to find a hole. There were a couple of nice things that happened that inning to lead up to that win.”

Savannah Palverento and Rappa both had three hits for the Eagles. Rappa and Birney each had three RBIs. Rappa is 6-for-8 with five RBIs in two playoff games and 26-of-47 (.553) during the winning streak. She is three hits shy of 100 for her Penns Grove/Pennsville career.

End of two eras

Wolverines fall to sharp pitcher in South Jersey Group I softball quarterfinals in Wildermuth’s final game

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
Tuesday’s quarterfinals
(1) Audubon 15, (8) Paulsboro 0
(4) Pennsville 9, (5) Maple Shade 8
(3) Haddon Twp. 3, (6) Woodstown 1
(2) Buena 6, (10) Gateway 4
Thursday’s semifinals
Pennsville at Audubon
Haddon Twp. at Buena
Saturday’s game
Championship game at higher seed

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WESTMONT – Dave Wildermuth made it a point to hug every player in Woodstown’s post-game huddle. He saved the longest hug and kindest words for senior shortstop Tulana Mingin.

The best three-year run in Woodstown softball history and a longtime teaching and coaching tenure came to a mutual close Tuesday when Haddon Twp. scored two unearned runs in the sixth inning and ushered the Wolverines out of the South Jersey Group I softball quarterfinals, 3-1.

The Hawks broke a 1-1 tie on Mikayla Callahan’s two-run single. They will now travel to second-seeded Buena for one of Thursday’s semifinals.

Earlier this year Wildermuth announced his retirement from teaching and coaching effective at the end of the school year. He didn’t want to talk about any farewell tour while the season played out or even at the start of the playoffs, but coming up just short in a hard-fought game brought a sense of reality to the situation. If you listened real close, you could hear him getting emotional during his post-game interview.

Wildermuth coached Woodstown softball for the last three seasons, to a combined record of 49-20 and three straight division titles. He had never missed the playoffs and reached the South Jersey Group I semifinals each of his previous two years. Mingin was among his most decorated players, setting the program’s all-time hits record this season (137) and going out as a .523 career hitter.

“I just told the seniors I’ve coached a lot of different sports at Woodstown, all different levels, the last three years coaching softball – and I’ve only coached three years – has been the ride of my life with these girls,” he said. “Probably the greatest era of girls softball in Woodstown High School history and they’ve been a big part of it.

“It was unbelievable. The girls from day one took to me, everybody got in line and we just had three great seasons.”

The players felt the same way about their coach.

“It actually hurt me a lot (that today was the end) because I’m just so grateful he came in and stepped in to coach us,” second baseman Kayla Brown said. “He’s the best coach I could ask for. It’s just tough to see him leave, but I’m glad I got to experience my high school career with him.”

“I’m going to miss him – a lot,” Mingin said. “I’m going to miss high school softball a lot, so it meant a lot to me.”

The Wolverines made the first move to keep it going by striking first against Hawks pitcher Jordan Strauss, but the run they scored in the first inning was their only one of the game.

Mingin helped create it when she drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on Ellie Wygand’s infield out and scored on Brown’s two-out single up the middle. It was the 117th run of Mingin’s career. 

“I felt pretty confident with (Strauss),” Brown said. “I was fouling off a lot of pitches, so I felt like hitting the ball was something I could do. I knew I had to make an adjustment because I kept fouling the ball off and I made the adjustment perfectly and it got through the gap and Tulana scored. It was a really exciting moment.”

The Hawks got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Strauss tripled into the right field corner and scored on an infield ground out.

Strauss and Woodstown pitchers Liv Boultinghouse and Grace White went head-to-head in the circle. Strauss held the Wolverines to two hits and struck out 13. Boultinghouse pitched the first four and gave up only two hits after the first.

The Hawks broke the tie against White in the sixth. White got the first two batters out, but the Hawks kept the inning alive when Jamie Kozarski reached on a low throw to first from Mingin and went all the way to second.

“It was a slow roller and a slow roller in the gap like that the throw is going to be a little rushed, so I threw it a little low,” Mingin said.

The Wolverines still had a chance to get out of the inning with no damage, but Abby Lyons followed with a bunt single to move Kozarski along and she kept moving to second. Callahan then delivered her two-run single to center.

The Hawks continued to load the bases but the inning ended when Strauss was out for interference for plowing through Mingin on a grounder to short.

Strauss put the Wolverines down in order in the seventh to close out the game.

“We ran into a really good pitcher today, so give them credit,” Wildermuth said. “I told (his players) at practice the other day at this point everybody’s a good team (and) it’s going to come down to the team that makes the less mistakes or gets that one key hit.

“That’s what happened today. We had the one defensive play that kept the inning alive and then they capitalized with a hit. That was the difference in the game.”