Baseball Game Preview: Leonia Lions vs. Elmwood Park Crusaders

Leonia is a perfect 5-0 against Elmwood Park since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Lions will take on the Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with six consecutive losses dating back to last season for Leonia and three for Elmwood Park.

Leonia might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 9-8 to Saddle Brook, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.

Meanwhile, Elmwood Park fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Wallington on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 14-13. Even if the Crusaders couldn't come away with the win, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.

Freylin Ceballo stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Matthew Barrios was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.

Leonia's record now sits at 0-5. As for Elmwood Park, their record is now 1-3.

Everything went Leonia's way against Elmwood Park in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Leonia made off with a 12-2 victory. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.