The Union City Soaring Eagles will square off against the Elizabeth Minutemen at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Union City comes in on five and Elizabeth on eight.
Union City is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 15-4 margin over Hoboken on Monday. Considering the Soaring Eagles have won eight games by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Adrian Garcia spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned runs on three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Steven Roque
| 04/21/25 @ Hoboken | 5 |
| 04/17/25 @ Hudson Catholic | 2 |
| 04/02/25 @ North Bergen | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Memorial | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs St. Benedict's Prep | 1 |
At the plate, Steven Roque was a standout: he went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Guillermo Soto also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Union City kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 8.8.
Elizabeth came out on top against Ferris on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run second inning. The Minutemen never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The Minutemen are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the sixth matchup they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Ian Acevedo made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Acevedo was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Eliezer Cepeda, who went 2-for-3 with two triples, five RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Jaime Tamayo, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and one double.
Union City pushed their record up to 11-2 with the victory, which was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.1 runs over those games. As for Elizabeth, their record is now 11-2.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Union City has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .451. However, it's not like Elizabeth struggles in that department as they've averaged .454. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Union City's way against Elizabeth in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Union City made off with a 9-3 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Soaring Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
