SOLID: Pinelands Regional’s Stephen DeMilio started the season with positive efforts in two wins last week as the Wildcats improved from last year. (File photo by David Biggy)
The opening days of the new spring sports season have been successful for many local school teams. The Pinelands Regional High School baseball team was one of them.
After a 24-1 thrashing of Lakewood on April 1, the Wildcats came back the next day and picked up a 7-3 win over Atlantic Tech to start the season 2-0.
Against the Red Hawks on April 2, pitchers Stephen DeMilio and Logan Russo combined for the win on the hill. DeMilio pitched 5-1/3 innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out 12 batters for the win, while Russo went 1-2/3 innings, allowing two hits and a walk while stoking two hitters.
At plate, DeMilio was 2-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases, while Kaden Inman, Bobby Gordon and Dan Maher each had a hit. Maher also completed two races.
In Game 1 against the Piners, Inman was victorious on the mound, pitching three full innings while allowing only one hit and striking out seven. Nathan Sofield went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, as did DeMilio, while Russo went 3 for 3 with four RBIs, and Hunter Theuret went 2 for 3 with five RBIs and a pair of doubles.
The two wins have already eclipsed the Wildcats’ 2021 win total.
During this time, the barnegat The baseball team started its season with a split in its first two games – first knocking out Lacey, 4-0, to open, followed by a 3-1 loss to the Shore Conference foe , Marlboro, the next day.
In Game 1 against the Lions, the Bengals scored their first run in the third inning, then added three more in the fourth. Ryan Kulpa delivered on the hill, going six innings and allowing just three hits and two walks. Jared Schworn went 2 for 2 with a triple and an RBI, while Bryce Davenport went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.
Against Marlboro, Barnegat scored once in the first inning but didn’t do much else offensively as the Mustangs scored once each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to win. victory. Schworn pitched the first four innings, allowing one hit and five walks while fanning five batters, and PJ Craig took the loss in relief after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five.
volleyball teams
Cruise to Victories
The Southern Regional and Barnegat boys’ volleyball teams both picked up wins on April 1 – the Rams rebounded Donovan Catholic, 25-9, 25-10, while the Bengals beat Toms River East, 25-20 , 25-19.
Against the Griffins, the Rams were led by Lucas Kean, who had eight kills, while Nick DiMaria added five kills and a block, Gavin Bates contributed four kills and a block, Drewe McNellis had four kills and three digs, and Angelo Addiego had 21 assists, a pair of aces and six digs. Nick Piserchia added four digs and four aces, and Cameron Nugent also had two aces. Finn Olcott had six digs and an ace.
Against the Raiders, the Bengals were led by Hudson Morici with five kills and two digs, while Pavan Patel dished out 15 assists and scored on two blocks, a kill and an ace, and Tyler Finkle contributed three kills decisive and two aces. Nick Block had two kills and three blocks, while Adam Zirpoli and Shawn Javines each added two kills and a block, and Josh Javines recorded two kills, three digs and an ace.
Pinelands, Southern Golfers
Off for a solid start
On the links, the Pinelands Regional and Southern Regional boys’ golf teams kicked off their seasons with wins on April 1. The Wildcats routed Manchester, 192-238, while the Rams secured a 181-191 win over Shore Conference rival Ranney.
Pinelands, which does not have a designated women’s team, was led by Grace Klements and Brandan Tyhanic, each carding a 43, while Jillian Becker delivered a 51, and Luke Shertenlieb recorded a first-round 55. As for Southern , Alex Henbest led en route with a 41, followed by a 43 from Graeme Schnarre, a 47 from Landon Beirne and a 53 from Logan Savoth.
Barnegat, southern tennis teams
Have great openers
On the tennis court, the boys from Barnegat and South also started with wins on April 1 – the Bengals edged Class B rival Shore Conference South Lakewood 3-2, while the Rams were pressed by the Class A enemy South Central Regional, also by a score of 3-2.
For the Bengals, second-team singles player Anthony Idone scored a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 win, while first-team doubles player Owen Cisco and Kyle Wright earned a 7- 5, 6-4, and the second doubles tandem Allen Chang and Phil LoPicollo decided the contest with a comeback thriller from behind 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).
For the Rams, Sean Kahl set the tone in the first singles with a 6-3, 6-0 victory, while second in the singles Bryan Kahl posted a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4 ), and Paul Schriever completed the singles sweep by sailing to a 6-1, 6-0 third singles triumph. Southern came close to picking up another victory, but the second doubles team of Jon Beck and Dean DiRocco fell short in a 4-6, 6-0, 4-6 loss.
—David Biggy
