S. Jersey Girls: Cakert homers twice as Atlantic City upsets Absegami, 9-8

Carly Cakert's second home run of the game, a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning, gave host

Atlantic City

a 9-8 upset of

Absegami

yesterday in a Cape-Atlantic League softball shocker.

The Vikings (4-9 overall, 1-5 division), who scored a total of nine runs over their first six games this season, suffered a 10-0 loss at Absegami on April 10.

Yesterday's contest appeared to be headed in the same direction when Absegami (13-5, 4-2) jumped out to leads of 3-0 in the opening inning and 5-0 in the third.

Atlantic City unleashed a torrent of homers in a four-run fifth, when Cakert and Joanna McGarrity hit back-to-back bases-empty blasts and Joanna Persiano slammed a two-run shot to tie it.

After the Braves regained the lead, 8-5, in the top of the seventh, Atlantic City pulled even in the home half on Persiano's three-run home run.

Devon Barber had a double and a home run for Absegami, which slipped into a three-way tie atop the American Conference Division I standings with Vineland and Millville. Atlantic City remained in last place.

In other Cape-Atlantic League action:

Camry Puff was the driving force behind

Millville

's 9-0 win at

Lower Cape May

. Puff pitched a one-hitter and belted a three-run home run, while Jessica Atkinson went 4 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI.

Alysa Romero drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the opening frame, and Leanne Miller hurled a four-hit shutout as visiting

Vineland

beached

Ocean City

, 10-0.

Tri-County.

Freshman Rachel Coleman split time in the circle with junior Lindsay Snajowski in pitching a perfect game, and

Pennsville

(12-2, 8-0) cashed in on two-run home runs by Katie Gaskill (3 for 4, 4 RBIs) and Dana Watkins to whitewash host

Wildwood

, 16-0.

Gloucester

(15-3, 8-1) remained within half a game of Pennsville, as Jill Stafford struck out 10 in hurling a one-hit shutout as the host Lions mauled

Salem

, 10-0. Sam Dobleman hit a three-run home run and Kelsey Cutler (3 for 3) added a solo shot.

Junior shortstop Ali Robinson batted 4 for 5, stole two bases, scored three runs, and drove in a pair as

Gloucester Catholic

(10-1, 6-0) inched closer to clinching the Diamond Division crown with a 13-5 win at

Penns Grove

.

Burlington County.

In a battle for Freedom Division supremacy, host

New Egypt

(16-1, 7-0) tied it with a four-run seventh-inning rally and won it in the eighth, 5-4, over

Florence

(7-6, 4-1). On the deciding play, winning pitcher Abbey Houston drew a walk and intentionally got caught in a rundown between first and second - allowing Robynn Frank to score from third.

Delran

(9-4, 6-2) kept its slim hopes alive in the Patriot Division chase by edging host

Cinnaminson

, 3-1. Paige Mollineaux and Vanessa Hejnas each had one RBI in the Bears' two-run fourth inning.

Kelly Erkert batted 2 for 3 and stole three bases to kickstart

Burlington Township

's attack in an 11-1 romp past visiting

Medford Tech

.

Olympic.

Freshman Laura Messina fanned 15 batters, bringing her season total to 155 strikeouts, and Brooke Fisher's two-run double ignited a four-run sixth inning that carried host

Camden Catholic

past

Cherry Hill West

, 4-0.

Julie Gornowski, Jordan Santo and Monica Bonitatis had two hits apiece to back winning pitcher Ali Wu, as host

Cherry Hill East

turned back

Triton

, 6-4.

Colonial.

Kristen Debalski and Denise Nieves combined for five hits and five RBIs in fueling

Collingswood

's 17-3 romp at

Lindenwold

.

Sierra Chambers and Gina Grandizio drove in three runs each for host

Audubon

, which surged late to put away

Haddon Heights

, 12-3.

Kelly Klever eclipsed her own school record for goals in a game, bettering the previous mark by one in scoring eight times, as host

Mainland

blasted

Barnegat

, 16-7.

Michelle Tumolo scored six goals, Amanda Saia put in five and Jess Loizeux found the net four times, helping host

Clearview

slam

Sterling

, 21-4.