PHOTOS: Freshmen combine to pitch Wildwood past LCM

Posted: May 4th 2026

Freshmen Louis Sewell (left) and Wil Auty pitched the Wildwood baseball team to a 4-2 win over Lower Cape May Monday.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – When the Wildwood High School baseball team played Lower Cape May Regional last Thursday, the Warriors committed 10 errors in what finished as an 8-3 loss.

Wildwood played a much cleaner game against the Caper Tigers on Monday.

The Warriors committed three errors, only one of which led to a run, and got outstanding pitching from a pair of freshmen in a 4-2 victory in a rematch of the two local rivals.

“The first thing I said to the kids when we huddled after the game was that from the first pitch to the last pitch, I felt like every one of our guys wanted the ball hit to him,” Wildwood coach Rich Hans said. “When we booted a ball, we came right back and made the next play. I thought the focus was better. They had runners on a few times and we got out of it, not because of strikeouts but because we made the plays when they put the ball in play. We got out of multiple jams. I’m proud of the kids for that.”

Wildwood (12-6) used a pair of freshmen on the mound in the contest. Louis Sewell left the game with a 4-1 lead with two outs in the sixth. Ashton Ray’s infield single with the bases loaded off relief pitcher Will Auty plated a run but Auty induced a ground ball that resulted in a force out to end the threat. Auty then stranded a runner at third base to end the game, striking out the final two batters.

Sewell walked just two and hit one batter. Auty issued no free passes.

“We’ve been doing it all year with those two young guys. They’ve really thrown the ball well for us,” Hans said. “The name of the game in high school baseball is throwing strikes. If you don’t walk guys and field the ball behind your pitchers, you can win games. And I feel like when either of those guys are on the mound, we’re a pretty good defensive team behind them.”

Wildwood grabbed the lead immediately in the opening inning without hitting a ball out of the infield. A walk, two infield singles and two throwing errors allowed the Warriors to plate three runs.

Lower got a run back in third on Caden Ewell’s double to left field but Wildwood tacked on a run in the top of the fourth when Gianni Troiano walked, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a passed ball.

Lower threatened in the sixth by loading the bases with two outs but could only muster one run.

Wildwood (12-6) won for the seventh time in eight games.

Connor Milligan pitched well for Lower (5-13) in the loss, allowing just three hits and one unearned run in five innings of relief.

(photos courtesy Heidi Ray/LCMR baseball)