Baseball Game Preview: Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks vs. O'Neill Raiders

The Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks will challenge the O'Neill Raiders at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Friday, Newburgh Free Academy earned a 12-9 victory over Cornwall Central. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Goldbacks.

Connor Hollenbeck looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit.

Jayden Hines

Runs (Career)

04/04/25 @ Cornwall Central	4
04/02/25 @ Valley Central	1
05/25/24 vs Kingston	1
05/02/24 @ Beacon	1

At the plate, Jayden Hines was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was JJ McCoy, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.

Meanwhile, O'Neill had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They had just enough and edged out Tri-Valley 5-4 on Friday.

Newburgh Free Academy beat O'Neill 5-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Goldbacks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.