West Deptford Baseball Drops Group 2 Title Game to Cinnaminson

In their quest for a second South Jersey baseball title in three years, the West Deptford Eagles had the bad luck to run into a team of destiny.

Behind a one-hitter from senior John Bednarek, the Pirates throttled the Eagles at Union Field Friday and won their first Group 2 sectional championship since the 1970s, 8-1.

West Deptford set what looked like it could be a good tone in the first, getting a leadoff hit from David Strout—but that would be the only time the Eagles could thread one through the Cinnaminson defense.

“They deserved it today—[Bednarek] threw a great game for them,” West Deptford coach John Oehler said. “They put the ball in play, they were aggressive, they made things happen...they played really well. If we're going to win the baseball game, we have to get base hits.”

In contrast to the Pirates, West Deptford could only get the leadoff man on twice—Strout's hit in the first, which eventually ended with him stranded at third, and Tyler Strano's walk, which led to the Eagles' only run of the game when Strano scored off a fielder's choice that bounced off Bednarek's glove.

That, combined with the pressure of Cinnaminson having the leadoff runner on six out of seven innings, made for a rough go of it, Oehler said.

“We've got to show up today and do a better job,” he said. “We didn't make an adjustment at the plate.”

Though the Eagles were coming off the high of beating a Sterling team that had owned them since 2007, Oehler said the coaches have worked hard to keep the team on an even keel, and didn't pin the loss on a letdown from the victory of two days ago.

“The kids were ready to go,” he said.

While it was hardly the end the team wanted to see for the season, Oehler said it doesn't diminish their accomplishments—winning the conference, qualifying for the Diamond Classic and reaching the South Jersey final.

“Our seniors, they battled—they were great this year,” Oehler said. “The whole team was great; they put together a season West Deptford hasn't had in a long time.

“To go down like this, it's sad for the seniors, it's sad for the underclassmen, but I think it's good for the program...to see how we turned around it this year.”