Baseball Recap: University Academy Charter Comes Up Short

University Academy Charter had lost three straight on the road, but on Wednesday they dropped their record down to 2-7 to make it four. They lost 16-0 to the Kearny Kardinals. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Kardinals this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 13-0 on Monday.

As for Kearny, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-5. The match marked their most dominant win of the season so far.

For Kearny's part, Jayden Diaz was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Diaz has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

In other batting news, Jonah Menendez and Julian Butler did most of the damage at the plate: Menendez got on base in two of his four plate appearances with four runs and one stolen base, while Butler went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Menendez has become a key player for Kearny: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-5 otherwise. Michael Jarquin also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. University Academy Charter will take on Bergen Charter at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Kearny, they will face off against Clifton at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.