The Bernards Mountaineers will head out on the road to face off against the Oratory Prep Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bernards took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Nutley, sneaking past 5-3.
James Gallagher made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Gallagher was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs and one double. Those runs were his first of the season.
Gallagher wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sean Arcelay, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Tyce Hanratty also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Oratory Prep entered their tilt with Hanover Park on Monday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Hornets by a score of 8-3.
Bo Ren Chen looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Vincenzo Luaces, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those two runs gave him a new career-high. Blake Duddy was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Oratory Prep lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Bernards' record now sits at 6-4. As for Oratory Prep, their record is now 4-10.
Bernards beat Oratory Prep 8-3 in their previous matchup back in April of 2016. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mountaineers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
