CAMDEN (N.J) - On the bank of the Delaware River lies the Rutgers University-Camden campus. The new and improved baseball field on the ruins of old Campbell's Field hosted the first annual D2 Sports Network South Jersey high school baseball all-star game last Saturday.
Teams Dominate and Destroy faced off in the heat as the Ben Franklin Bridge and Philadelphia skyline sat in the distance. The two teams made history by ending the inaugural meeting in a 10-10 tie.
There were many memorable moments in the birth of what is hoped to be a new annual tradition in South Jersey.
The game started off with Team Destroy plating six runs in the top of the second inning highlighted by RBI singles from Cinnaminson's Michael Kulyk and Delsea's Max Van Auken. Camden Tech's Ryan Joseph also added a two-run single.
Team Dominate fought back in the bottom half of the second with five runs. Timber Creek's Matt Newcomb started the frame off with a leadoff double and would later score on a bases loaded walk from Paul VI's Matt Morad. The big blast of the game came from Immaculata bound Dom Aversa who launched an opposite field grand slam representing Paul VI as well. Aversa's grand slam was enough to crown him Most Valuable Player of the contest via unanimous decision.
Paul VI's Dom Aversa high fives Cinnaminson's Ryan Horner as he rounds the bases in the D2 Sports Network All-Star Game at Rutgers University-Camden in Camden, New Jersey on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Joshua Guirguis/D2 Sports Network
Both offenses would go quiet until the fifth and sixth innings. Cape May Tech's Tanner Oliva scored on a throwing error from the second baseman to extend Team Destroy's lead to 7-5 in the top of the fifth. Team Destroy would continue to extend its lead with RBI singles from Absegami's Matthew Johansen and Cedar Creek's Sean O'Kane in the visiting half of the sixth inning.
The biggest inning of the game came from the Team Dominate offense in the home half of the sixth. After Oliva sat down the leadoff hitter, Gloucester's Gavin Weiner and Seth McCormick reached base to allow fellow Lion Russell Medlar to drive them in on a single that reached the right field grass after the second baseman couldn't corral the ball on a diving play. Florence's Chase Muchowski knocked in Medlar to make it 10-8 as Team Dominate trailed with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Gloucester Tech's Julian Gonzalez was the hero with a two-run triple to tie the game up and give Team Dominate new life down to its last out.
Neither team could push a run across the in the seventh inning resulting in the 10-10 tie to conclude the first annual D2 Sports Network All-Star Game.
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