After a rain-filled regular season, the South Jersey Group III playoffs began in high school baseball and lacrosse, but they weren’t kind for the Mainland Mustangs and Ocean City Red Raiders.
The baseball playoffs were cut short in heartbreaking fashion as both teams lost by a single run.
Mainland and Ocean City also fielded impressive lacrosse squads this season but were met with some of the toughest competition in the state.
Mainland baseball
eliminated by a run
The Cape-Atlantic League champion Mustangs entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed and hosted No. 6 Clearview High School in the quarterfinals.
After a defensive struggle between the two teams, Clearview pulled off the upset and defeated Mainland 2-1 on May 29.
Senior Jack Haines drew three walks in the game and scored the Mustangs’ lone run in the fourth inning. Will LaPointe brought Haines home, which gave Mainland a 1-0 lead.
Clearview got on the board immediately afterwards and scored in back-to-back innings. Down one run, the Mustangs had a couple chances to tie or retake the lead in the final two innings but couldn’t bring home the runners who got on base.
The Mustangs drew six walks but only two base hits in the game. They found success all season with great defense and opportunistic scoring but just needed a bit more offense to win in the playoffs.
The Mustangs (20-6) won the CAL tournament title with their defense, beating St. Augustine Prep 1-0. They scored their lone run in the final inning without a base hit.
Heartbreaking end to
Raider baseball season
For the third straight season the Raiders faced off against Delsea High School in the playoffs.
Ocean City pulled out to a 6-0 lead after the first three innings, but that evaporated as Delsea scored seven runs in a disastrous fifth inning.
Suddenly down 7-6, the Raiders’ offense immediately responded as Evan Taylor hit his second home run of the game and put the Raiders back in front.
Delsea continued to score and made another Ocean City lead disappear. After the Raiders scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning, Delsea scored three runs of its own. The Raiders couldn’t make that final comeback, falling 10-9.
The Raiders finished with an 18-8 record, including winning two of three games against rival Mainland, with only two starters from the previous season.
Raider boys
lacrosse falls
After the Raiders cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs, they traveled to Shawnee High School on May 31 for the semifinals.
Both teams were locked into a physical battle, but Shawnee eventually pulled away with a 16-8 victory. Ocean City (14-8) was within two to three goals throughout the game until Shawnee scored seven in the fourth quarter.
Senior Charlie Schutta led Ocean City with three goals and Chayston Labarre scored twice.
A huge offseason is in store for the Cape-Atlantic League champion Raiders as its top four goal scorers will be graduating. Standout Pat Grimley led the team with over 80 goals this season and will play at Harvard University next year.
Mainland boys lacrosse
runs into Clearview
In addition to baseball, Mainland boys lacrosse also faced Clearview, meeting in the quarterfinals.
Clearview’s defense stopped the Mustangs in their tracks all afternoon as they eliminated the Mustangs 12-2 on May 29.
Mainland (13-6) never managed to get many shots on goal, thanks to Clearview dominating the time of possession. The Mustangs took good shots when they had the opportunity to but were held to their lowest scoring game of the season.
Harrison LaMonica and Joe Eyde each scored once to finish as the top two scorers on the team.
Defensively, Carter Mostecki held on for as long as possible. The goalie made multiple great saves in the contest in his final game at Mainland.
Not quite enough for
Mustang girls lacrosse
Two close quarters were not enough for the Mustangs to overcome Cherry Hill West High School in the quarterfinals of the girls lacrosse sectional.
A four-goal difference in the second quarter was enough for Cherry Hill West to eliminate Mainland 16-6 on May 29.
The game was tied 2-2 after the first quarter of play. However, Tatum Woods and Cherry Hill West broke the game open in the second quarter. Woods scored two goals and assisted on another to give her team a four-goal lead at halftime.
She finished the game with five goals and three assists as Mainland had no answers for her.
The Mustangs played another tight quarter in the third but were outscored 6-1 in the fourth quarter.
Lani Ford scored three goals for the Mustangs after netting five in the first-round matchup against Jackson Memorial High School.
Ava Sheeran will be back next season after a great junior year. She led the team with 48 goals and was tied with Ford for the most points.
Mainland (9-9) had two freshmen explode onto the scene this season. Sophia Blanco and Lauren LaMonica each had over 25 goals.
– By WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
