The Hasbrouck Heights Aviators will challenge the Elmwood Park Crusaders at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Hasbrouck Heights 1.8, Elmwood Park 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Hasbrouck Heights took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Cresskill with a sharp 12-2 victory. The Aviators might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by seven runs or more this season.
Maddy Connelly spent all five innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on two hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Hasbrouck Heights got a massive performance out of Ali Monchino, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases Monchino has posted since back in April of 2024. Giuliana Terranova was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two doubles.
Hasbrouck Heights always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cresskill only posted an OBP of .211.
Meanwhile, Elmwood Park never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out New Milford 2-0. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
Christina Scarpulla made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. That home run was her first of the season.
Scarpulla wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Gianna Ramirez, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Hasbrouck Heights' win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Elmwood Park, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Elmwood Park's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hasbrouck Heights hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .436. It's a different story for Elmwood Park, though, as they've only averaged .186. Will they be able to contain Hasbrouck Heights' hitters?
Hasbrouck Heights came out on top in a nail-biter against Elmwood Park in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. Will the Aviators repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
