THINKS THE EAGLES STOLE ONE
Any public school baseball team that got its sectional semifinal game in on Tuesday (and of course won the game) has a major advantage heading into Friday's South Jersey championships.
That's because teams that were postponed on Tuesday have no guarantee of playing Wednesday with more rain expected.
So even though the conditions weren't ideal, Gateway for example is better off for playing on Tuesday after defeating Glassboro 6-4 in a sectional semifinal.
The Gators await the Pitman-Pennsville winner. That game was postponed on Tuesday and there is no guarantee due to the weather forecast that it could be played on Wednesday.
So as it has all spring, the weather could have an impact on these championship games, especially in baseball due to the pitching rules.
If a team played on Tuesday and used its ace for exactly five innings, it could bring him back for five innings on Friday.
If a pitcher throws exactly five innings on Wednesday, he must have two full days rest according to NJSIAA pitching rules and would be ineigible for Friday.
The rain has fouled up so many schedules this spring that it's only appropriate that it messes with a team's starting rotation during what is shaping up as a wet and soggy championship week.
Chris Patterson pitched six effective innings and Dom DePasquale threw a scoreless seventh inning for the save as Gateway defeated Glassboro, 6-4 in a South Jersey's Group 1 baseball semifinal.
Second seeded Gateway (16-4) will meet the winner of Wednesday's Pitman-Pennsville semifinal in Friday's sectional final. That other semifinal game was postponed on Tuesday due to the inclement weather.
DePasquale also hit a two-run home run which gave Gateway a 6-1 lead in the fifth inning. Glassboro's John Ebert higt a three-run home run to get the Bulldogs within 6-4 in the sixth.
Glassboro 000 103 0 – 4 7 0
Gateway 300 120 x – 6 8 2
WP: Chris Patterson. LP: Daniel Snyder. 2B: Glass-Nicco Esgro, Dan Snyder, HR: Glass-John Ebert, Gate-Dom DePasquale.
The Gloucester County Cup, which features competition between host Washington Township and Clearview in boys' and girls' lacrosse has been postponed. The inclement weather on Tuesday caused the postponement.
The boys' game will has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday May 28 at Washington Township.
The girls' game was originally supposed to also be on Thursday but due to a field trip at Clearview, there is no set date yet for that game.
St. Augustine will host St. Joseph Metuchen in state Non-Public A boys' lacrosse semifinal 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Both teams advanced with convincing wins on Friday. Second seeded St. Augustine scored a 16-4 win over Notre Dame. No. 3 seeded St. Joseph Metuchen defeated Christian Brothers Academy, 10-2.
Shawnee's baseball team has earned a berth in Tuesday's South Jersey Group 3 semifinal with Friday's 8-0 win at No. 2 seeded Cumberland.
Anthony Montefusco pitched six shutout innings to get the win for the seventh seeded Renegades. John Montemurro and Eric Sellitto hit two-run home runs in the four-run first inning.
Shawnee 410 030 0 – 8 8 0
Cumberland 000 000 0 – 0 5 1
WP: Anthony Montefusco. LP: Gage Mick. 2B: S-Ed Royds. HR: S-John Montemurro, Eric Sellitto
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Phoenixville junior Courtney Kedra won the Class AAA girls' long jump at today's PIAA state track and field championships at Shippensburg University. Cheltenham's Brittany Howell was second, followed by Penncrest's Lauren Tusar.
Kedra nipped out the victory with an 18-9 ¾ effort. Howell went 18-9 ½. Tusar jumped 18-9 ¼
St. Augustine's boys' lacrosse team, which is No. 2 in The Inquirer's South Jersey Super Six poll, will open state tournament play 1 p.m. Friday at home against Notre Dame in a Non-Public A game.
St. Augustine (16-3) is the No. 2 seed in Non-Public A and Notre Dame is No. 10. While St. Augustine had a first-round bye, Notre Dame advanced with a 12-9 opening win over No. 7 seeded Red Bank Catholic.
Camden Catholic's Laura Messina, a sophomore, is 15 strikeouts from 500 in a career. She could reach the half-century mark today against Seneca or tomorrow vs Gloucester Catholic.
If Messina reaches the magic number, she'll be the first player in school history to do so in two seasons.
BILL IEZZI
