By Al Muskewitz

CARNEYS POINT, N.J. – Right-hander Ryan Silnik gave the Salem Community College baseball team eight strong innings in the longest outing of his career and the Mighty Oaks moved another step closer to playoff qualification with a 7-1 victory over Montgomery County Community College Wednesday.

Silnik, a sophomore from Washington Twp., allowed four hits, eight base runners and struck out a career-high 12 before giving way to hard-throwing J.D. Wilson in the ninth inning after throwing 114 pitches.

The only real trouble he ran into was the fifth inning when the Mustangs got runners at second and third with none out, but he retired the next three batters without further damage. The next inning he had a runner at second with none out and then struck out the side.

It was the Mighty Oaks' eighth straight win and moved them within one game of .500 (19-20). They have won 11 of their last 12. Teams .500 or better at the end of the season qualify for the Region XIX playoffs.

It also was their second straight come-from-behind win. The Oaks answered the visitors' run in the first with Demetrius DeRamus' RBI single in the bottom of the inning. They took the lead for good in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by DeRamus and Matt Murphy and a sacrifice fly by Jared Vandersteur.

DeRamus, Murphy, Yen Rodriguez and Angel Velez all had two hits for the Salem. Vandersteur had two RBIs.

The Mighty Oaks continued to stretch their lead with Cole Dawson's RBI triple in the fifth, Nick Ciesielka's RBI single in the seventh and two runs in the eighth. Velez and Vandersteur opened the eighth with back-to-back doubles and Joe Fekete delivered a sacrifice fly.