Vineland defeats Eastern, to host Egg Harbor Township in SJ Group final Saturday (2024)

VINELAND — Playing a team four times in one season does not always happen in high school sports.

The second-seeded Vineland softball team will do just that after its 10-1 victory Thursday over sixth-seeded Eastern Regional in the South Jersey Group IV semifinals.

Vineland (24-2), ranked fourth in The Press Elite 11, will host fourth-seeded Egg Harbor Township in the championship at noon Saturday. The Fighting Clan defeated the Eagles twice in the regular season. The Eagles, No. 5 in the Elite 11, beat Vineland in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament semifinals May 16. Eastern finished its season 18-7.

“It’s great,” junior outfielder Leah Mears said of the rematch with EHT. “We are all so pumped up. Last game, losing in the CAL semifinals, that really put a chip on our shoulder. That’s why we are here. We were not letting that happen again. We are really excited to play them, especially at home.”

Vineland coach Mike Reed pointed to the strength of his and EHT’s program for a fourth meeting.

“I always hate playing teams more than twice, because by the time you get to the third or fourth time, there are no surprises left for either of us,” Reed said. “It also goes to show how good our division (the CAL American) is and the two teams going to the (S.J.) Group IV championship.”

As for the game Thursday, Vineland scored all the runs it needed in the second inning.

Averie Gomez hit a two-run single to give the Fightin Clan a 2-0 lead. Kashvi Patel and Morgan Harrell-Alvarez each hit RBI singles to extend the lead to 4-0.

Patel went 2 for 3, drove in two and scored once in the game. She also struck out two, walked three and gave up just four hits and one run to earn the win.

“I think me being on the mound, the defense behind me really gave me that confidence knowing if I do throw a meatball down the plate, my teammates are back there defending and making the plays,” said Patel, a 16-year-old sophom*ore. “Up in the box, that energy in the dugout, and from our crowd and everyone, the energy is just so great. It just really brings my game up.

Vineland scored three in the sixth, including Leah Mears’ two-run single. The 17-year old junior also scored on an error to cap the scoring. Mears went 2 for 4, drove in two and scored twice.

“At the plate, we all have been very disciplined,” Mears said. “None of this would be possible without my teammates getting on base. We constantly preach moving the runner on and doing your job. And everyone, one through nine, and anybody who rotates in, gets on base and does their job.

“I love this team so much. We are all hyped up from the moment we got here.”

Morgan Harrell-Alvarez went 2 for 3, drove in a run and scored. Her run came in the sixth after she reached on an error. Megan Harrell-Alvarez singled and scored. Guyana Porreca tripled, walked and scored. Gomez went 2 for 3 and drove in two. Natalia Ponce scored a run. As courtesy runners, Mia Morvay scored twice, and Ceniya Holland once.

Vineland scored two in third and one in the fifth. In the fourth, Claire Suto doubled in Gen Meany for Eastern’s lone run. Sami Wakeley struck out six and gave up 11 hits in six innings for the loss. The Fighting Clan’s Brooklyn Lopez struck out one and did not allow a hit in one inning in relief.

Vineland had its senior prom last night, “so I know our seniors were tired,” Reed said. But it sure did not look that way.

“We got back to it,” he said. “We got away from it a little bit in the middle. We are used to playing our division. Our conference games are probably the toughest out of anybody, I would say. So, it’s always tight battles, tight battles. It’s nice to get our bats swimming again as we move into the championship game. They came out and played.”

Vineland lost in the first round of the sectional tournament last season.

“We weren’t going to let (Eastern) come to our home field and take it away,” Patel said. “We were coming back to fight, especially from last year. It was a tough loss in the first round of the playoffs. This year, we are really coming back to fight and come together as a team.”

Vineland lost to EHT three times last season.

“We have taken two out of three from them (this season),” Reed said. “There are no surprises when it comes to playing them. I think it’s going to be a great contest between two strong teams. Hoping we end up on the plus side of it.”

“Super excited because we are playing here at the Coop, our home field,” Patel said. “I think our last game against them wasn’t our best game.”