By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
X @tortreports
VOORHEES — When Rich Gilmore took over Eastern Regional High’s softball program prior to the 2021 season, he knew he would have quite the challenge in store. Coming off the COVID year in which spring sports were not played, Gilmore’s first three years featured a 5-15 finish in 2021, 7-13 in 2022, and 10-12 in 2023.
Eastern’s last playoff victory came in 2016 season when they fell to Egg Harbor Township, 7-6 in 13 innings, in the sectional final.
Coach Gilmore said he knew it would take some time for the Vikings to return to that form. After all, winning programs aren’t built overnight.
Perhaps the long-awaited start to another run to a title was executed to perfection on Wednesday afternoon as sixth-seeded Eastern downed No. 11 Gloucester County Institute of Technology, 1-0, in the opening round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 4 playoffs.
The Vikings go on the road Tuesday in the sectional quarterfinals when they travel to No. 3 Central Regional, a 3-2 winner over No. 14 Millville in the first round.
There was only one upset in the opening round, as No. 10 Rancocas Valley knocked off seventh-seeded Toms River East. The Red Devils take on No. 2 Vineland in the quarterfinals. On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Kingsway and No. 8 Cherokee face off in the quarters, as does No. 5 Southern at No. 4 Egg Harbor Township.
“We were in a bunch of these games all year,” Gilmore said. “This is what we expected, to be in this position in a tight game. Their pitcher (Aubrey Miller) did a great job and kept us off balance. Sami (Wakeley) got 14 strikeouts and only gave up two hits.”
The game’s lone run came on an error in the bottom of the fifth inning. GCIT had two outs when junior Hannah Geissler hit a ground ball that was bobbled, resulting in senior Claire Suto scoring.
“I saw Hannah hit it to shortstop, and I went about halfway,” Suto said. “She threw it while I was rounding third and I saw she bobbled it. (Rich) Gilmore told me to go home and I started running. It was a close play but I slid into home. I was pretty hyped. It means a lot to me (to advance in the tournament) because I’m a senior, and it’s my last year. I never won a playoff game before today.”
Suto winning her first postseason game couldn’t have come without yet another fabulous performance from junior pitcher Samantha Wakeley.
Wakeley arguably is South Jersey’s breakout player of the year. She holds a 1.48 ERA with 315 strikeouts. That’s 38 more Ks than her first two seasons combined. She recorded another 14 strikeouts Wednesday while limiting GCIT to just two hits in seven scoreless innings.
“We’ve been doing pretty good this year, so I was confident that we could come in here and win,” Wakeley said. “It took the whole field to win a 1-0 game, it took everybody. I knew being at the bottom of the lineup, (in the top of the 7th inning), that I just had to go right at them. I didn’t want to walk people or play around and let the top of the lineup come in. I knew I had to go right at them.
“It’s great to see that the work is finally paying off. I know I’ve worked hard, so seeing a result lets me know that my work has paid off.”
In a classic pitchers’ duel, GCIT’s Miller surrendered just four hits while fanning five in the loss. The senior is set to continue her career at Lander University in South Carolina in the fall, and recently reached the 400 strikeouts milestone.
“I loved every little bit of GCIT softball,” said Miller. “These past four years of my life have been amazing and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m sad to say that it’s come to an end but I’m very excited to start my new softball career at Lander and create more friendships and connections with everyone there. I love GCIT with all of my heart, and time flies by so fast. I’m very sad to say goodbye to the No. 12 on my Jersey but super excited to see how these next four years will treat me.”
The Cheetahs’ softball program seems to be in good hands under the leadership of first-year head coach Jamie Minix.
“My first season here was definitely a challenge in many different aspects,” Minix explained. “Coming in and trying to change the mentality of the program and change the culture, trying to get the girls to understand that not everything is given. Just because you’re a good softball player doesn’t mean you’re going to come out here and be given a win. You have to work hard, you have to execute, you have to make the plays in big-time situations.
“We’re from Philly, we know what the underdog life is about. Be the underdogs, go in and surprise somebody. They might look at you and say ‘oh they’re the 11th seed, we got this,’ we’re going to roll over and give you the game,’ but taking it all the way to the 5th inning when they scored that run, I knew this would be a tight game,” Minix continued. “I knew we weren’t going to drive Wakeley around for five or six runs, because if you look at what she’s doing, she’s a phenomenal softball player. One run can win you a ball game, but one run goes one way, one run goes the other, and unfortunately, we gave them their one run today.”
WHAT’S NEXT: No. 6 Eastern at No. 3 Central Regional in the SJG4 quarterfinals on Tuesday, time TBD. GCIT’s season is complete.
