Baseball Game Preview: Benicia Panthers vs. Cardinal Newman Cardinals

The Benicia Panthers will square off against the Cardinal Newman Cardinals at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Benicia 4, Cardinal Newman 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Benicia fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against College Park on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They came up short against the Falcons, falling 10-2. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Panthers, who until this game were averaging 3.95 runs allowed.

Andrew Murphy was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits.

At the plate, Benicia saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nash Rubins, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That double marked the first that Rubins has hit this season.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Newman waltzed into their matchup on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They put the hurt on the Pumas with a sharp 11-1 win.

Jamie Vozaitis was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Chase Bromstad, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double.

Benicia has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 14-7 record this season. As for Cardinal Newman, their victory bumped their record up to 13-10.

Benicia might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Cardinal Newman when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.