By Al Muskewitz
PENNSVILLE, N.J. – After a rough start to the weekend with four losses to two of the top teams in Region XIX, the Salem Community College softball team got well in a big way Sunday, sweeping a doubleheader at home from Ocean County College 17-1 and 19-1.
The Mighty Oaks, swept by Delaware Tech and Lackawanna CC on Friday and Saturday, pounded five home runs and banged out 35 hits – 15 for extra bases – in the two five-inning games against the visiting Vikings.
"Even though we dropped a couple big ones we played hard even for those," Salem coach Angel Rodriguez said. "We didn't let that hang over for today and play down. We learned from it. We had a good opportunity to come out here and keep the bats going like we've been done and just kept it going."
Freshman shortstop Ella Hayes had a huge day, hitting three homers and collecting 13 RBIs in the doubleheader; she had two homers and nine RBIs in the second game. Freshman outfielder Kiki Beukman hit her first homer since arriving on campus from South Africa in the first game. She went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in the opener and was 6-for-7 with six runs and seven RBIs in the doubleheader.
Hayes also is making a run at winning the JUCO Division II batting title. She went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader, raising her average to .617 in 34 games (66-for-107), which is second in the division behind current leader Avery Sickeri of Frederick CC (.646 in 22 games).
With her display of power, Hayes now has 10 homers and 64 RBIs on the season.
"My teammates might consider me a power-hitter, but I would consider myself a hitter-hitter and the home runs come," Hayes said.
The Mighty Oaks (26-10) jumped on the Vikings in the first inning of both games.
They scored six in the opener on three-run homers by Hayes and Beukman. Vaye Savage's leadoff homer in the second made it 7-0. The Oaks scored nine in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Savage and a two-run single by Faith Penn. Savage went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the game, 4-for-5 in the doubleheader.
They scored 10 in the first inning of the nightcap. Hayes had her grand slam in the inning and Beukman had a two-run double. Hayes hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run second inning and the Oaks added two more in the third and one in the fourth.
The hit parade ran through the lineup. Emilie Hamm went 3-for-3 in the first game, Kyla Buerger went 4-for-6 with four RBIs in the doubleheader, 2-for-2 in the nightcap; Aislynne Deviney went 4-for-4 in the doubleheader, 3-for-3 in the nightcap.
The Mighty Oaks return to action Tuesday in a Region XIX doubleheader at
