Martin, a junior, or sophomore Kate Hansel will start for RV, and Hunter Urban or Alison Guldin is likely to start for Audubon.
Gloucester's Sam Bryszewski earned the wins against Vineland, 1-0, and New Egypt, 8-7, in the first two rounds, and the senior is looking forward to Saturday's game against Buena.
"To beat Buena, we'll have to hit against Brittany [Scott], have no errors, and I'll have to pitch my hardest," said Bryszewski, who splits circle duty with Kate Boulden.
Scott is in her third year as a Buena pitcher, the last two of which she has been the No. 1 hurler. Most likely, the junior will get the nod to start against Gloucester. She won 20 games last season and had an ERA of 0.70.
Two top pitchers. Surprising the experts were the teams that did not advance in the RV tourney. Camden Catholic and New Egypt lost in the quarterfinals.
Camden Catholic's Laura Messina is one of the best pitchers in South Jersey. But the Irish lost to Audubon, 1-0, on a squeeze play in nine innings even though Messina struck out 20 batters and no-hit the Green Wave.
Gloucester City's Melissa Mackey was an unlikely hero in Saturday's 8-7 upset victory over defending Group 1 state champion New Egypt.
New Egypt's Emily Bausher, widely regarded as the top pitcher in New Jersey, had struck out the junior third baseman four times before Mackey stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded.
"It was a rise ball that didn't rise enough and was in my zone," Mackey said of her RBI single to left-center field that won the game.
Gloucester coach Dave Light said he never hesitated about leaving Mackey in to bat the fifth time against Bausher.
"Her batting position is No. 2, and I wouldn't change anyone having a rough time at the plate," Light said about Mackey. "She's a talented athlete and she came up with the opportunity to win the game, and she did."
Shawnee at Camden Catholic. Shawnee will face its second big test of the season Thursday at Camden Catholic in an Olympic Conference interdivisional game.
The Renegades, who won the RV tournament last year, lost their first test in the first round of the tournament when Buena nipped them, 2-1, on Scott's three-hitter.
Now they'll be up against Messina.
"We'll have to keep our heads in the game and play hard," said Shawnee's Ali Summers, a centerfielder turned catcher. "We have to hit the ball more."
Messina, who is 2-1 with two shutouts, had the same message for her teammates.
"We have been struggling in that [hitting]," Messina said.
Contact staff writer Bill Iezzi at 856-779-3826 or biezzi@phillynews.com.
