VIDEO, PHOTOS: Freshman’s complete-game shutout leads Wildwood past rival Wildwood Catholic

Posted: April 18th 2026

Wildwood freshman pitcher Louis Sewell leaps in the air to field a ground ball during Friday's baseball game against Wildwood Catholic.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – Louis Sewell is a freshman at Wildwood High School after spending his grammar school days at Wildwood Catholic Academy. His older sister, Casey, is a senior at Wildwood Catholic.

So even though Friday evening’s game was the first time he experienced a varsity baseball contest against the Crusaders, Sewell already had a full grasp of what the sports rivalry between the two schools is all about.

Sewell, proving the moment wasn’t too big for him, was one of the stars as the Warriors downed Wildwood Catholic, 9-0, in front of a large crowd on an unusually warm mid April evening at Maxwell Field.

The right-hander needed just 85 pitches to toss a complete-game three-hitter to keep the Crusader offense in check the entire game.

“He was ready to go,” Wildwood coach Rich Hans said. “I knew from Day 1 he was pitching this game. I set it up that way. It was no coincidence. He wanted it.

“He stayed around the strike zone all day. He pitched to contact and we made the plays behind him. He only had three walks, so he really did his job. Nerves can get to anybody in a game like this, especially a freshman, but he kept his cool and threw strikes. And when he did walk a guy he came right back and threw strikes to the next guy.”

Sewell was nearly matched by Wildwood Catholic freshman pitcher Carter Givner, whose ability to throw strikes, particularly with his curveball, held Wildwood to three runs through five innings. But Givner was lifted in favor of Nick Antonicello once the Warriors scored a run and threatened for more in the sixth. Wildwood went on to score three more runs in the sixth and twice in the seventh to pull away.

“First of all, give a lot of credit to Carter,” Hans said. “He had us off balance, especially early in the game. He threw a lot of strikes, and he was able to get his curveball over for strikes. In high school, you can be a good pitcher if you throw strikes and guys make the plays behind you.

“We had guys salivating up there trying to hit the ball farther than they really can and we kept popping up or hitting weak ground balls and our guys were getting frustrated. But from the middle of the game toward the end, we started to get a better grip on things and we put some more good balls in play.”

Nolan Mawhinney led the Warrior offense by going 3 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Michael McWade, Wildwood’s catcher, had two hits and reached base three times, with his courtesy runner, Matt Maher, stealing two bases and scoring twice. Gianni Troiano and Trevor Troiano each added RBI singles, Sewell chipped in a double and Vinny Sweeney posted a hit, two stolen bases and two runs scored.

Wildwood (6-5) snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.

“Anytime you play Wildwood Catholic, it’s a big game,” Hans said. “Anything can happen in this game. I’ve been involved in these games as a coach for 27 years now and we’ve beaten them when I thought they were the better team and they’ve certainly beaten us when I’ve thought we were the better team on paper.

“I thought we were the better team on paper going into this but you still have your doubts. I was nervous all day because this is a rivalry game and anything can happen, especially in baseball. I was very nervous when it was only 2-0 for a while, but then our offense finally got going a little.”

Freshman Brian Lopez had two infield singles and Antonicello doubled for the lone hits for Wildwood Catholic (5-6), which has done well to compete in most of its games so far this season despite featuring a small and mostly inexperienced roster.

Although the game was held on Wildwood’s home field, Wildwood Catholic was the home team for the contest. The teams agreed to move the game to Maxwell Field in order to play the contest under the lights.