Becoming a tough out

Pennsville gives one of state’s best teams a battle for seven innings before falling 8-5; Woodstown falls to Paul VI

THURSDAY BASEBALL
Gloucester Catholic 8, Pennsville 5
Paul VI 8, Woodstown 4

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – It had been a pretty good week for the Pennsville baseball team as it was. To beat one of the top teams in the state Thursday would have made it a downright historic one.

it didn’t happen as the Eagles came up short against Gloucester Catholic 8-5, but if nothing else the week served as a good measuring stick for a team with high aspirations in the Tri-County Classic Division and South Jersey Group I.

Earlier in the week the Eagles (3-2) knocked off two of South Jersey’s premier teams – county rival Woodstown and Delsea – giving a program with 22 total players a ton of confidence going into a game a team loaded with Division I prospects.

After giving the Rams all they could handle for seven innings – without their top three pitchers available or their only senior (injured) – they are convinced if they keep buying into what coach Matt Karr is selling and continue to play for each other and the next man in the lineup they can beat anyone.

“It’s a huge measuring stick,” Karr said. “I told those guys out there in left field the New Jersey media tells us that’s the best team the state has to offer right now … and if (that’s the case) any day we put our cleats on and come play baseball we’re going to compete with anybody no matter who we’re playing.

“We’ve got 22 guys in our whole program and we’re playing teams who have 25 guys in the dugouts and kids who just pitch. We just have to have that mindset next guy up and when it’s my turn to do something for the team I’ve got to find a way to do it. We preach selfless baseball. If you’re not going to be the guy who gets the big RBI, that’s fine, be excited for the guy who does. If we get 22 guys all buying into that idea, it’s limitless how far we can go.”

Mason O’Brien brought that next-man-up mentality to this windy, overcast day. Karr handed him the ball for the second time this season when the Eagles were down 7-1 and the freshman left-hander responded with four innings of solid relief to give his team a chance.

He gave up three hits, a run and struck out three. With O’Brien holding the Rams in check, the Eagles climbed back into it with four runs in the fifth inning.

“We put Mason in the leadoff spot and out on the mound today because of his approach to the game every day,” Karr said. “He is a guy who is not afraid of anything. He’ll step in the box against anyone. He has what we call that ‘dawg mentality.’ He’s just going to get in there and battle.”

O’Brien showed that from the very beginning when he laced the first pitch from Rams starter Henry Pancoast the opposite way past shortstop Noah Danza, a Virginia commitment who homered in the top of the inning, for the first of his two hits. He slater cored on Chase Burchfield’s single that sliced away from left-fielder Sal Marziani.

Burchfield finished with three hits and two RBIs. Luke Wood had two hits and Mason’s brother Peyton had two RBIs.

“My mindset out there was just trust my teammates, give my all,” Mason O’Brien said. “I didn’t really worry about who they were. I went out and tried to play my best ball and I think I did. We talk about it all the time, trust in each other; that’s how we become a good ball team. We just became a better team (this week).”

The Eagles easily could have folded in the second inning after the Rams squashed a threat by turning Wood’s scorching liner with bases loaded into an inning ending double play.

“If that gets through, it’s a whole new ballgame,” Karr said.

Instead of buckling, they stayed in the moment and eventually got back in the game with a four-run fourth inning that made it 7-5. Peyton O’Brien highlighted the rally with a two-run double and he scored on Burchfield’s second RBI single that chased Pancoast.

“Pennsville always gives us trouble, especially when we play down here,” Rams coach Dennis Barth said. “I told the kids we’re coming down there, they’re going to give it to you, they ain’t going to back down from you, they always play good. We’ve got to lead.”

Future opponents can expect the same treatment.

“Right now,” Mason O’Brien said. “If someone comes to play us … it’s gonna be really hard to beat us.”

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 8, PENNSVILLE 5

Gloucester Cath. (5-0)	403 001 0 –	8 10 3
Pennsville (3-2)	100 040 0 –	5 9 2

WP: Henry Pancoast. LP: Cohen Petrutz. HR: Noah Danza (GC).

PAUL VI 8, WOODSTOWN 4: Jack Petrillo went 4-for-4, Ryan Fayette had three hits and starter Anthony Ungaro pitched four shutout innings before the Wolverines got the on the board. Brent Williams and Andrew Pedrick both had a double and each drove in a pair of runs for the Woodstown.

PAUL VI 8, WOODSTOWN 4

Paul VI (4-1)	203 201 0 –	8 14 2
Woodstown (2-3)	000 013 0 –	4 5 1

WP: Anthony Ungaro. LP: Aaron Foote.

Cover photo: Gloucester Catholic shortstop Noah Danza (L) is greeted by his teammates after hitting a three-run homer in the first inning against Pennsville.

Thursday roundup

WOODSTOWN 13, CUMBERLAND 3: The Wolverines pulled away from a close game with an eight-run fourth inning and got back in the win column. Alyssa Baber had two hits and two RBIs, Kayla Brown had two hits, Johanna Way had three RBIs and Ellie Wygand had two RBIs.

GOLF
WOODSTOWN 169, PENNSVILLE 169: Jeffrey Covely shot a medalist-winning 40 and Jacob Schermerhorn shot 41 to lead Woodstown in the match at Town & Country Golf Links. Jake Isaac was Pennsville’s low man (41).

BOYS LACROSSE
MAINLAND 16, WOODSTOWN 3: Harrison LaMonica, Joe Eyde and Ty Pierce scored three goals apiece for Mainland. Laitton Roberts and Lucas Sperry scored goals for Woodstown.

Wednesday roundup

Here are the results from Wednesday’s high school sports action around Salem County from reports available to Riverview Sports News

BASEBALL
Schalick 14, Glassboro 2: The Cougars scored seven runs in the first inning, Luke Pokrovsky allowed one hit and struck out seven over four innings and Jake Siedlecki homered. Enrico Hatz had three hits and J.T. Fleming had two hits and three RBIs.

Overbrook 12, Penns Grove 0: Three Overbrook pitchers held the Red Devils to one hit, a single by Dylan Hyatt.

SOFTBALL
Schalick 14, Glassboro 4: Taylor Sparks went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Alexis Shimp had two hits and two RBIs, and Addy Shimp gave up four hits and no earned runs in five innings in the circle.

Gloucester Catholic 9, Pennsville 6: The Eagles matched the Lions run-for-run over the first two innings, but didn’t have an answer for their hosts’ four-run sixth. Bella Farina had three hits, including a first-inning solo homer, and drove in three runs for Pennsville. Lilly Birney and Reagan Wariwanchik each had two hits.

Wildwood 16, Salem 11: The Rams scored 10 over the final three innings, but came up short. Juliana Love went 4-for-5 for Salem. Trysta-Marie Wilson and Morgan Johnson both went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Haddon Heights 14, Woodstown 6: The Garnets overtook the Wolverines with a three-run third and then broke it open with a six-run sixth. Woodstown catcher Lila Bowling hit a game-tying homer in the third homered and Cara Delia had two extra base hits and three RBIs. The Garnets also held Wolverines leadoff hitter Tulana Mingin (0-for-3) hitless for the first time this season.

Overbrook 21, Penns Grove 1

BOYS TENNIS
WOODSTOWN 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Tim Schwienbacher def. Alex Ramirez Martinez, 6-1, 6-0
Drew Stengel def. Angel Perez Herrera, 6-0, 6-0
Eric Lipovsky def. Gerald Vasquez Llorens, 6-1, 6-0
Trevin Plum-Wade Hubschmitt def. Ricardo Vichi-Anthony Pacheco, 6-4, 6-1
Kingst Khemiani-Josef Hummel def. Stuart Mondragon-Pablo Sanchez Correa, 6-1, 6-2
Records: Woodstown 4-0, Penns Grove 1-1.

PENNSVILLE 4, CUMBERLAND 1
Samuel Falk (C) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-2, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. Luke Fischer, 6-4, 6-3, 11-9
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Chase Sheppard, 6-3, 6-0
Noah Flitcraft-Noah Bohn (P) def. Josiah Jiminez-Joey Nolan, 6-2, 6-3
Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey (P) dec. Angel Perez-Justin Nolan, 6-3, 6-0
Records: Pennsville 4-0, Cumberland 1-1.

GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown 8, West Deptford 7: Emma Morgan and Delaney Walker scored three goals apiece and Jaime Deal had two as the Wolverines won for the first time this season.

GOLF
Clearview girls 179, Schalick 221: Clearview’s Sarah Kaestner was medalist at Westwood GC (43). Cali Fisler posted Schalick’s low score (52).

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Triton 2, Salem Tech 0 (25-11, 25-7): Jose Ramos had five kills and Joe Phillips 12 assists for Triton.

Tuesday roundup

Here is a roundup of Tuesday’s high school sports action involving Salem County teams; will be updated during the evening

BASEBALL
Hammonton 10, Schalick 0
Pennsville 8, Delsea 6
Woodstown 10, Clayton 4
SOFTBALL
Delsea 3, Pennsville 2
BOYS TENNIS
Pennsville 5, Washington Twp. 0
Woodstown 4, Schalick 1

Baseball

WOODSTOWN 10, CLAYTON 4: The meat of Woodstown’s lineup – Andrew Pedrick, Jack Knorr and Brent Williams – had two hits apiece and combined for seven RBIs as the Wolverines (2-2) got back on the winning track. Pedrick had two singles, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Knorr had a single, double and two RBIs. Williams had two doubles and three RBIs. Three Woodstown pitchers allowed five hits and struck out 11.

HAMMONTON 10, SCHALICK 0: Jaiden Franchetti scattered three hits over five innings and struck out six in shutting out the Cougars (1-3). Luke Pokrovsky (double), Joseph-Tyler Fleming (single) and Ricky Watt (single) had Schalick’s three hits.

Jaxon Miller and Brayden Markart swung the big bats for Hammonton (1-1). Miller had two doubles and five RBIs, while Markart doubled three times and drove in two.

Softball

DELSEA 3, PENNSVILLE 2: Zoey Shangle delivered Delsea’s third straight single to open the eighth inning and drove home the winning run. The Crusaders (2-1) scored the tying run in the seventh on an error in the outfield.

Pennsville (3-2) took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Bella Farina’s RBI double and Bella Rappa’s sacrifice fly. Farina had two doubles in the game and Mary-Louise Montagna had three hits.

Tennis

WOODSTOWN 4, SCHALICK 1
Tim Schwienbacher def. George Gould, 6-4, 6-3
Drew Stengel def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-1
Erich Lipovsky def. Conor O’Toole, 6-1, 6-2
Rocky Monticolo-David Santana (S) def. Joseph Kurpis-Ben Stengel, 2-6, 6-4, 10-8
Luke Shaw-Mason Shimp def. Kaden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski, 6-7, 6-4, 10-8
Records: Woodstown 3-0, Schalick 0-2.

PENNSVILLE 5, WASHINGTON TWP. 0
Gabe Schneider (P) def. Khang Nguyen, 6-0, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. William Minchin, 6-2, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. John Ecker, 6-0, 6-0
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) Jack Laubin-Kaden Murphy, 6-0, 6-0
Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey (P) wins 6-0, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 3-0, Washington Twp. 0-2.

Monday roundup

Here are scores and details from Monday’s high school sports action in Salem County made available to Riverview Sports News; coaches, don’t wait for the sketchy dot-com reports, send your results to Riverview Sports News directly at al.muskewitz@gmail.com.

BOYS TENNIS
Penns Grove 4, Clayton 1
Pennsville 5, Glassboro 0
Woodstown 4, Triton 1

WOODSTOWN 4, TRITON 1
Steve Schilder (T) def. Tim Schwienbacher, 6-2, 6-2
Drew Stengel def. Tristyn Malone, 6-1, 5-2
Eric Lipovzky def. William Ahrens, 6-4, 6-0
Ben Stengel-Joseph Kurpis def. Tirth Patel-Brennan Zabala, 6-1, 6-1
Jason LaFond-Luke Shaw def. Sean Gorski-Cole Durham, 6-0, 6-1
Records: Woodstown 2-0, Triton 0-1.

PENNS GROVE 4, CLAYTON 1
Chase Fronczklewucz (CL) def. Alex Ramirez Martinez, 6-0, 6-0
Poyraz Erdonmez (PG) def. Chase Murphy, 6-3, 6-1
Angel Perez Herrera (PG) def. Troy Hollis, 6-3, 6-2
Ricardo Vichi-Anthony Pacheco (PG) def. Jayden Sanchez-James Mai, 7-5, 6-1
Pablo Sanchez Correa-Stuart Mondragon (PG) def. Ian Johnson-Dyshamir Miller, 6-1, 6-2.

BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown 13, Cedar Creek 5: Woodstown (2-2) outscored Cedar Creek 6-0 in the second quarter to take a 9-3 halftime lead.

GIRLS LACROSSE
Haddonfield 17, Woodstown 2: Riley Austin scored four goals and Stella Stolarick dished four assists to lead Haddonfield. Delaney Walker and Jaime Deal scored Woodstown’s goals.

GOLF
Boys
Pitman 198, Salem Tech 246 – Medalist: Joey Zubert (P) 45

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
GCIT 2, Salem Tech 0 (25-12, 25-10): Nicholas Caltabiano had six kills and three aces for GCIT to spoil the Chargers’ season opener. Mason Hohl had five kills and six digs.

‘A good win’

Pennsville softball opens a busy week with a victory over county rival Woodstown; Schalick uses two big innings to pick up its first win of the season

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – It was a strange game on so many fronts, but in the end, Pennsville pulled out a big victory to start what for the Eagles is a week of big games.

The Eagles took down county rival Woodstown 7-3 Monday. The game time was pushed back a half-hour to allow the solar eclipse to run its course. The Eagles arrived at 3 p.m. to find an empty stadium as the Wolverines waited things out in the gym, but it did allow them to experience the celestial event.

When the game did get underway, they lost their starting pitcher to a blister blowout in the fifth inning, but their reliever kept the hard-hitting Wolverines off the board the rest of the way.

“It was just a crazy afternoon,” Pennsville coach Beth Jackson said.

Savannah Palverento started in the circle for the Eagles (3-1) and was pitching through a blister on her throwing hand that developed during Saturday’s doubleheader. It finally burst in the fifth inning, forcing her out of the circle into left field and calling Sierra Stultz out of the bullpen.

Palverento gave up three runs in the first two innings, but kept the Wolverines off the board up to the time she came out with one out in the bottom of the fifth and Stultz shut them out on three hits the rest of the way. Lilly Birney helped keep Woodstown off the board with a great catch in centerfield in the seventh.

“The two of them pitched well,” Jackson said. “Sierra came in and helped out and did her job. We had a couple hiccups in the field, but other than that the girls were making the plays. Lilly Birney made an excellent play in centerfield in the bottom of the seventh.”

Palverento’s availability to pitch the rest of the week wasn’t immediately certain.

Woodstown (2-1) scored a pair of runs in the first on Ellie Wygand’s RBI single and Katie Brown’s run-scoring fielder’s choice. Pennsville scored four runs in the second on a pair of errors to take the lead. Five of Pennsville’s runs were unearned.

Birney and Reagan Wariwanchik each had two hits for the Eagles.

“Our whole lineup was hitting the ball, making contact,” Jackson said. “There were a few plays we took advantage of and we added on with some hits.

“We hit the ball pretty much through the lineup, put the ball in play. My dad always says put the ball in play, good things will happen.”

The Eagles didn’t have any more luck getting Woodstown leadoff hitter Tulana Mingin out than anybody else that has played the Wolverines this year. Mingin reached base all four times she batted, extending her streak of reaching safely to 14 straight plate appearances going back to last season. The single she got in the sixth inning ran her career total to 104 hits.

“This was a good win,” Jackson said. “Like I said to them, playing Millville and Ocean City on Saturday. I think that really helped prepare them for this week.

“That was my post on Instagram. I said we went 1-1 and no rest for the weary next week. We’re playing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. We have a tough week and I think this was a good way to start this week.”

SCHALICK 16, CLAYTON 2: The Cougars put together a pair of seven-run innings to score their first win of the season.

Alex Shimp had a pair of hits and three RBIs to lead the offense and Abby Willoughby spun a complete game with eight strikeouts. Cloe Elliott also had two hits, while Addi Shimp, Taylor Sparks, Ava Scurry, Cayla Sbrana and Willoughby all had one.

‘He’s Luke, you know’

Wood gives Pennsville six good innings in his first start of the season, then goes behind the plate for the first time to guide his reliever to the save

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Luke Wood does a pretty good job keeping his emotions in check when he’s out on the mound. Inside, his heart might be pounding like a bass drum and every nerve on fire, but outwardly he remains as steady as an ace of the staff should be.

Which is what made what happened on the final pitch of his first start of the season so noteworthy.

Maybe he knew it was going to be his last pitch of the day. Maybe he was just relieved to have pitched out of a little jam in a tight game. Maybe he just appreciated the strikeout.

Whatever the reason, the Pennsville junior let out a very audible “Let’s go,” after he blew a fastball past Woodstown’s Sam Chard for the final out of the sixth before switching places with batterymate Connor Starn to close out Monday’s 4-2 victory.

“I was trying to stay locked in all game, keep my emotions very level,” he said, “but I got out of that first-and-second (situation), which was really huge up by two (and) not giving up any runs there, and I think the emotions came over me. I was excited.

“I’m always pretty fiery when I’m on the mound. Any time I’m throwing well I’m pumped up. It’s a good feeling to go out and throw well.”

Wood thought his first start of the year went “pretty good” outside of the one inning Woodstown scored its runs. He wasn’t on a pitch count and wanted to finish the game, but coach Matt Karr lifted his ace after six innings and 85 pitches “looking out for him” for the long run. No sense in running risk in the third game in April when there’s bigger stakes in late May and June.

The Eagles (2-1) have games against powerhouses Delsea and Gloucester Catholic later this week and as much as the baseball world would love to see Wood on the mound in those situations he probably won’t pitch against either of them.

The left-hander gave up seven hits, a four-pitch walk and hit two batters in his in his final inning on Eclipse Monday, but he struck out nine, including the side in order in the third inning. Woodstown touched him for four straight hits and both their runs leading off the fourth, but he got out of it with two strikeouts and kept the Wolverines off the board the rest of the game.

“He’s Luke, you know,” Karr said. “We get him on the mound and we expect to win a baseball game, he expects to win a baseball game. I think he’ll tell you he can be better. It’s his first outing of the year and we’re still trying to build him up to where he wants to be pitching at the end of May and early June.

“He’s just working through some things, mechanical stuff. He was injured in basketball, so he’s a little behind in his throw program, but he’s a gamer. We know when we put Luke on the mound we can beat anybody.”

When Wood came off the mound for the last time he didn’t go far. He switched places with his catcher in a move he appreciated on a number of fronts. He got to break in the new catcher’s mitt he got for Christmas in anticipation of being behind the plate some this season and he was happy not to be “stuck out in the outfield without much control of what’s going on.”

When he set up for Starn in the seventh, it was his first inning of catching in high school.

It got dicey in the seventh inning. The Wolverines (1-2) put some good swings on the ball against Starn and got the tying run on with one out and loaded the bases with two. But Starn got cleanup hitter Brent Williams to ground sharply to shortstop Peyton O’Brien to end the game.

“Catching six innings your legs are a little tired, but you’ve got to push through it,” Starn said. “You can’t be scared. Being scared you’re just going to get beat every time. I just went out there knowing they’re not better than me, throw it where they can’t hit it and hope they call it a strike.”

In assessing his first-time catcher Starn said “he’s not bad, can’t complain.” Wood will be behind the plate every time Starn pitches going forward.

Woodstown took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on RBI singles by Williams and Rocco String, but the Eagles retook the lead in the bottom of the inning on two-out bases-loaded walks to Jacob Grant and Wood. Jeff Wagner’s two-out RBI double gave them an insurance run in the fifth.

Wagner was the first batter reliever Jack Holladay saw when he followed Jack Knorr, but after the double Holladay struck out the last four batters he faced.

The Wolverines outhit their hosts 10-6, but base-running mistakes cost them potentially five runs, three early and two in the seventh. They ran themselves out of two in the first and botched a squeeze in the fourth.

They cost themselves potentially two more in the seventh when Mark Banff misread Ty Coblentz’ shot to the centerfield fence that resulted in a long single with runners at first and second instead of the corners or better with the heart of the order coming to bat.

“We made three outs on the bases in the first two innings; on top of that we missed three (other) opportunities,” Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro said. “We just relied on beating a good pitcher with hitting and then we couldn’t capitalize on anything outside of that and we couldn’t run the bases, so you get what you get.”

PENNSVILLE 4, WOODSTOWN 2

Woodstown (1-2)	000 200 0-	2 10 0
Pennsville (2-1)	100 210 x-	4 6 1

LUKE WOOD (WP), Connor Starn (7, S) and Connor Starn, Luke Wood (7); TY TAYLOR (LP), Jack Knorr (4), Jack Holladay (5) and Ty Coblentz. 2B: Brent Williams (W), Jack Knorr (W), Luke Wood (P), Jeff Wagner (P).

This week’s schedule

Here is the sports schedule for teams in Salem County for the week of April 8-13; all events 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY

BASEBALL
Penns Grove at Salem
Schalick at Clayton
Woodstown at Pennsville
SOFTBALL
Clayton at Schalick
Pennsville at Woodstown, 4:30 p.m.
Salem at Penns Grove
GOLF
Schalick girls vs. Williamstown, Scotland Run GC
Overbrook vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 4:30 p.m.
Pennsville boys vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:45 p.m.
Salem Tech at Pitman, 3:45 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Pennsville at Glassboro, 3:45 p.m.
Triton at Woodstown, 4:30 p.m.
Clayton at Penns Grove, 4:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Cedar Creek, 4:30 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Haddonfield, 5:30 p.m.
TRACK
Pennsville at Penns Grove
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at GCIT, 3:45 p.m.

TUESDAY

BASEBALL
Clayton at Woodstown
Delsea at Pennsville
Schalick at Hammonton
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Delsea
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Northampton (2), 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Clayton, Pitman CC, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick girls in South Jersey Open, Westwood GC
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Washington Twp.
TRACK
Overbrook at Woodstown
Schalick at Glassboro

WEDNESDAY

BASEBALL
Gloucester at Woodstown
Overbrook at Penns Grove
Schalick at Glassboro
Wildwood at Salem
SOFTBALL
Glassboro at Schalick
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Overbrook
Salem at Wildwood
Woodstown at Haddon Heights
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Montgomery County CC, 3:30 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland (2), 3 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 3:45 p.m.
Cumberland at Pennsville
Schalick at Overbrook
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at West Deptford
GOLF
Pennsville vs. West Deptford, Riverwinds GC
Salem Tech vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Clearview, Westwood GC
TRACK
Clayton at Salem
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Triton, 3:45 p.m.

THURSDAY

BASEBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Schalick at Deptford
SOFTBALL
Camden at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Cumberland
BOYS TENNIS
Pennsville at Vineland, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Millville
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Gateway, Riverwinds GC, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick girls vs. Cumberland, Running Deer GC
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Mainland

FRIDAY

BASEBALL
Penns Grove at Gateway
Salem at Paulsboro
Schalick at Haddon Heights
SOFTBALL
Salem at Cumberland
Schalick at Gloucester Catholic
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Bergen CC at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Millville vs. Pennsville, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Pitman at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Delsea, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Wildwood
Schalick at Clayton
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Haddon Heights

SATURDAY

BASEBALL
Woodstown at West Deptford, 10 a.m.
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10 a.m.
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at West Deptford, 6 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Bergen CC (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Morris at Salem CC (2), noon
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Egg Harbor Twp., 10 a.m.
TRACK
Schalick girls, Penns Grove girls, Pennsville, Salem at West Deptford Relays, 9 a.m.
Schalick boys at Bridgeton Relays, 9 a.m.
Penns Grove boys at Cherokee

Saturday roundup

Here is a roundup of Saturday’s action involving Salem County high schools in track, baseball and lacrosse

Track

DEPTFORD – Salem’s Anthony Parker and DaviYonn (Pop) Jackson won individual events and four other Salem County athletes or relays won medals at the Deptford Spartan Relays Saturday.

Parker won the boys 400 Hurdles in 58.50 and Jackson won by boys triple by by a quarter-inch with a winning jump of 43-5.5.

The top three finishers in each event received medals.

Pennsville’s Connor Ayars finished second in the boys javelin (154-2). Schalick’s Grace O’Neill was third in the girls 400 Hurdles (1:11.64), Pennsville’s Megan Morris was third in the firls pole vault (8-0); and the Cougars’ girls 1600 sprint medley team (Ella Shimp, Karlie Bakley, Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci) was third in 4:39.67.

Below are the Salem County athletes who finished in the top eight of their respective events.

DEPTFORD SPARTAN RELAYS
(Top 3 places win medals)
BOYS
400 Hurdles: 1. Anthony Parker, Salem, 58.50
Distance Medley: 8. Schalick (Bradford Foster, Charles Fuerneisen, Steve Chomo, Salvatore Longo), 12:20.17
800 Sprint Medley: 8. Salem (Jelani Beverly, Omarion Pierce, Terrance Smith, Anthony Parker), 1:41.39
4×100 Shuttle Hurdle: 6. Schalick, 1:18.92
4×800: 4. Schalick (Steve Chomo, Charles Fuerneisen, Wyatt Juczak, Salvatore Longo), 9:11.16
4×200: 4. Salem (Anthony Parker, Terrance Smith, Omarion Pierce, Kaden Robinson), 1:35.41
4×400: 6. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Jacob Carter, Hunter Dragotta, Sickler Kolby), 3:44.72; 8. Penns Grove (Knowledge Young, Theus Barrios, Sebastian Hernandez, Kylee Goodson), 3:47.33
Javelin: 2. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 154-2; 5. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 135-10
Long Jump: 5. David Stewart, Schalick, 19-0
Triple Jump: 1. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 43-5.5; 7. David Stewart, Schalick, 39-11

GIRLS
400 Hurdles: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:11.64
Distance Medley: 5. Schalick (Jordan Hadfield, Sophia Longo, Ella Shimp, Grace O’Neill), 14:04.16
800 Sprint Medley: 5. Salem (Karima Davenport-White, Anna Buzby, Rhionna Timmons, Dayana Jones), 1:57.57
4×100 Shuttle Hurdle: 4. Salem (Anna Buzby, Karima Davenport-White, Tahirah Davenport-White, LaMiracle Summers), 1:13.74; 8. Schalick (Brooke Watt, Gabriella Simonini, Allison Phillips, Grace O’Neill), 1:16.90
4×800: 6. Schalick (Caylen Taylor, Jordan Hadfield, Ella Shimp, Sophia Longo), 11:15.20
4×200: 4. Salem (Anna Buzby, Karima Davenport-White, Rhionna Timmons, Dayana Jones), 1:53.81
1600 Sprint Medley: 3. Schalick (Ella Shimp, Karlie Bakley, Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci), 4:39.67
4×400: 7. Schalick (Karlie Bakley, Alivia Klancic, Katelyn Little, Sophia Longo), 4:37.77
Discus: 5. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 97-8
High Jump: T-6. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 4-8
Pole Vault: 3. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 8-0; 5. Anna Buzby, Salem, 7-6

Baseball

KELLY TOURNAMENT
SCHALICK 11, CLAYTON 1
GLOUCESTER CITY 6, SCHALICK 5

The Cougars misplayed Ayden Daily’s bases-loaded grounder to third with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to chase home the decisive run against Gloucester City.

In their opening-game victory, Ricky Watt and Luke Pokrovsky both hit a pair of doubles and combined for seven RBIs and two pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Cougars beat Clayton.

Seven of the Cougars’ 14 hits in the game were doubles. Every spot in the lineup had at least one hit. Watt went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Pokrovsky went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.Cole Hartley pitched the first four innings of the five-inning game, giving up two hits and a run. Jamari Whitley pitched a one-hit fifth with three strikeouts.

CEDAR CREEK 12, WOODSTOWN 8: The Wolverines had answers for almost every Cedar Creek salvo except the four-spot the Pirates put up in the third inning and was the difference in the game.

Sean O’Kane and Tyler McCorriston both went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Pirates. Brent Williams had the big bat for Woodstown, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Jack Holladay and Ty Coblentz both had a pair of hits for the Wolverines.

GCIT 19, PENNSVILLE 1: Eagles coach Matt Karr wasn’t making excuses, but he can’t remember seeing as many hits off the handle and seeing-eye singles GCIT produced in a 16-run third inning that broke the game open.

The Cheetahs sent 20 batters to the plate in the inning and banged out 12 hits. Ben Sumek batted three times with a walk, single, bases-loaded double and five RBIs, Willie Popoff had a single, triple and four RBIs.

Cohen Petrutz had two of Pennsville’s four hits and Stevie Fatcher drove in their only run.

Lacrosse

WASHINGTON TWP. 16, WOODSTOWN 9: The Wolverines played their visitors even after halftime, but fell into an 11-4 halftime deficit they couldn’t shake. Nine players scored goals for Washington Twp. Robbie Finnegan had five goals and two assists.

Mingin’s milestone

Saturday softball: Mingin surpasses 100 career hits in Woodstown victory; Pennsville splits in Vinick Tournament

SATURDAY SALEM COUNTY SOFTBALL
Woodstown 7, Camden Catholic 1
Millville 6, Pennsville 2
Pennsville 9, Ocean City 7

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – One of the first goals Tulana Mingin set for herself when she started playing varsity softball was to collect 100 hits before she graduated.

Saturday morning, the dream that seemed so long ago became a reality.

The Woodstown senior shortstop became the 11th player in the program’s history – and first since 2018 – to reach 100 career hits while she collected four of them in the Wolverines’ 7-1 victory over Camden Catholic.

It took her 199 at bats and 60 games to reach the milestone.

“It means a lot; I’m really excited about it, because I work really hard on my hitting and it’s nice to see it pay off,” Mingin said. “Going into my freshman year I would think about it because it’s something really cool to do and not a lot of people do it in this program, so it’s a big deal.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it when I was younger, but as it got closer I started to think I’m getting pretty close to it, it would be really cool.”

The East Stroudsburg signee needed only one hit for the milestone entering the game and wasted little time getting it.

Leading off the bottom of the first, she belted the second pitch she saw into left centerfield for a triple. Unfortunately, she was stranded there as the Wolverines loaded the bases but failed to score.

Hit No. 101 was more productive. It was a two-out RBI single to left that put the Wolverines up 1-0. She ended up all the way at third as she circled the infield as the Irish tried to get the lead runner at the plate.

“I was a little bit anxious, but I was pretty relaxed because I know I can’t worry about that stuff,” she said. “I was just going to try to do my best in every at bat, and it worked out.”

Indeed. Teams are still trying to figure a way to get her out. She went 4-for-4 against the Irish and has yet to make an out in eight plate appearances this season (6-for-6 and two walks). In fact, she has reached base in each of her last 10 plate appearances going back to the final game last season. She has been hitless in only nine games in her game, just four over the last three seasons.

“There’s no words to describe how great of a player she is and what she means to our program, what she means to me as a coach,” Woodstown coach Dave Wildermuth said. “She’s just a great all-around player. She works really hard at softball. She deserves every milestone that she reaches and every honor that she receives.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed like yesterday and today the way teams are shifting on her, they end up pulling the infield in and the outfield up because they think she’s just a slap hitter, but you can see she can drive the softball. If you want to cheat your outfield up on her, she’s going to put the ball over your head or in the gap.”

And that’s what produced the milestone triple. The Irish pulled the fielders in and she got a pitch that looked up in a zone and power slapped it into the left centerfield gap. With her speed that typically turns walks into doubles within a couple pitches, she went into third standing up.

Her 103 total hits (in 202 career at-bats) are now 10th on the Wolverines’ all-time list. The next milestone is the all-time mark – 131, set by Gracee Roberts in 2018 – but that’s not on her mind right now.

“I try not to think about stats like that because then it’s just going to make me play for myself instead of the team and I just need to do my best and not worry about that,” she said.

Grace White, the 1A in the Wolverines’ tandem of aces, gave up four hits and struck out 11 from the circle. The run the Irish (0-1) scored was unearned, coming around on an two-out infield throwing error.

Freshman catcher Lila Bowling, who won the position after an early call-up from the JV camp and according to Wildermuth “has earned the respect of all the upperclassmen,” made three veteran plays behind the plate to keep the Irish off the board.

In each of the first two innings she retrieved balls that went to the backstop and flipped it back to White in time to cut down runners trying to score from third. And then in the fourth she started an inning-ending catcher-to-first-to-home double play with runners at second and third to kill that threat.

“I’ve played with older girls my whole life so I’m kind of used playing with older girls,” Bowling said. “I’m not really worried about anything, I go out there and do whatever.”

The Wolverines (2-0) return to action Monday at home against Pennsville. The game will have a 4:30 p.m. start to give the solar eclipse time to safely clear the area.

WOODSTOWN 7, CAMDEN CATHOLIC 1

Camden Catholic (0-1)	000 001 0-	1 4 0
Woodstown (2-0)	012 202 x-	7 8 3

WP: Grave White. LP: Megan Donnelly. 2B: Dani Brown (CC), Ellie Wygand (W), Hannah Hitchner (W). 3B: Tulana Mingin (W).

Freshman catcher Lila Bowling made three sharp defensive plays from behind the plate to keep Camden Catholic off the board early in its game with Woodstown. On the cover, Woodstown shortstop Tulana Mingin displays the ball and banner commemorating her 100 career hits.

Ron Vinick Tournament

PENNSVILLE 9, OCEAN CITY 7: Kylie Harris and Bella Farina, two of the mainstays on the Pennsville LL Senior World Series team last summer, both had three hits with Farina hitting two homers as the Eagles won the consolation game of the tournament.

They lost their tournament opener to host Millville 6-2.

Harris went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Farina went 3-for-3 with solo homers in the third and sixth innings and four RBIs. Lilly Birney hit an inside-the-park homer in the fifth. Brooke Douglas went 4-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs for Ocean City.

CONSOLATION GAME
PENNSVILLE 9, OCEAN CITY 7

Ocean City (1-2)	001 303 0-	7 10 2
Pennsville (2-1)	102 411 x-	9 10 2

WP: Savannah Palverento. LP: Jessica Mooney. 2B: Brooke Douglas (OC), Kylie Harris (P). 3B: Kylie Harris (P). HR: Brooke Douglas 2 (OC), Bella Farina 2 (P), Lilly Birney (P)

Woodstown’s All-Time Hits List

PLAYER	HITS	YEAR
Gracee Roberts	131	2018
Megan McCurdy	128	2014
Amy Gray	126	1994
Sarah Morgan	122	2018
Raechelle Hatchell	117	1993
Kim Duus	115	1994
Bethany Mills	108	2001
Amanda Clark	107	2000
Kristen Merkle	105	2000
x-Tulana Mingin	103	2024
Kim Merkle	102	1997

x-Active

Friday roundup

Here is a compilation of sports results from around Salem County Friday; includes college baseball, boys tennis, girls lacrosse

College baseball

RCSJ-CUMBERLAND 9, SALEM CC 4

The Dukes squeezed all nine of three runs into the sixth and seventh innings.

Yen Rodriguez, who’s made a mid-season Mookie Betts move going from right field to shortstop, homered for Salem and Cole Dawson drove in a pair of runs. Ben Charbonneau had three hits

The Mighty Oaks led 1-0 in the fifth, but the Dukes scored five in the sixth, then after Salem got within a run added four in the seventh.

Boys tennis

PENNSVILLE 3, DELSEA 2
Andrew McWilliams (D) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-3, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. T.J. Natalie, 6-2, 6-2
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Zeph Kell, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) def. Eli Croce-Jacob Bramble, 6-2, 6-3
Dominik Maronski-Zach Natalie (D) def. Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

WOODSTOWN 3, KINGSWAY 2
Tim Schwienbacher def. Filip Mirkovic, 6-4, 6-4
Drew Stengel def. Dominic Palladino, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6
Nick Decinque (K) def. Erich Lipovsky, 6-3, 6-2
Joseph Kurpis-Ben Stengel def. Charlie West-Tyler Wilkinson, 1-6, 6-2, 10-8
Aiden Shoemaker-Nolan Steurer (K) def. Jason LaFord-Mason Shimp, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8

HADDON HEIGHTS 3, SCHALICK 2
Ben Mazzucco (H) def. George Gould, 6-4, 6-1
Ryan Connor (H) def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-0
David Santana (S) def. Milan Stocker, 6-1, 6-0
Mike Pender-Gavin Ewing (H) def. Conor O’Toole-Rocky Monticello, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7
Kayden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski (S) def. Josh Harris-David Maher, 6-1, 6-2

Girls lacrosse

PAUL VI 19, WOODSTOWN 2: Paul IV’s Ava Diaz had eight goals and three assists, while Ave Martin and Emma McCarthy each had four goals and four assists. Delaney Walker scored both goals for Woodstown.