Vineland baseball punches ticket to South Jersey Group 4 semifinal behind stifling pitching

Vineland's Kyle Lamanteer powered the Fighting Clan to victory tossing a complete game shutout in the South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinal played at the Camden Athletic Complex on the campus of Rutgers-Camden in Camden, New Jersey on Friday, May 30, 2025. Chris Baker/D2 Sports Network

CAMDEN (N.J) - The Vineland High School baseball team aimed to survive and advance as the sixth-seeded team in the South Jersey Group 4 postseason bracket.

The Fighting Clan turned the clock to midnight on a possible Cinderella run for GCIT, downing the Cheetahs, 4-0, at Rutgers-Camden after rain forced the two to move venues.

Rider signee Kyle Lamanteer spearheaded the Vineland victory by tossing a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters. The senior also went 0-for-1 at the plate and drew a pair of walks.

"I had all of my pitches working early," Lamanteer said. "Throughout the game, they'd sit on my fastball and then I'd go off-speed and vice versa. It was also our first time playing on turf all season, and our defense has been amazing all year, so I knew that no matter what field we played at, they'd come through and make the plays needed."

Both clubs went through the first two and a half innings without a run before Vineland's Xavier Etheridge broke the ice with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Don Menzoni.

Ernie Bernhardt broke the game open and put it out of reach with a bases-clearing, three-run triple to right-center field in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Lamanteer capped the game, finishing off a complete game shutout while GCIT attempted to climb back, sending Rhode Island commit Alex Valay to the mound in relief. Valay hurled 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to try and keep the Cheetahs in it.

In the postseason, it's crucial to have all hands on deck. Whether it's the starting nine fielders and hitters, relievers out of the bullpen, or a pinch hitter coming in to provide situational hitting, every player is just as important. Vineland is lucky enough to have everyone dialed in on the same goal each game.

"These guys want to be here and want to play every day," Vineland coach Kyle Jones said. "Everyone knows they have a job to do, and whether they get on the field or not, they're still going to provide some way to help boost the team. Today's win wasn't the product of just one person, it was everyone who did their part."