vs
| 05/21/24 - Away | 4-2 W |
| 04/11/24 - Away | 6-5 W |
| 05/12/23 - Home | 6-1 W |
| 04/14/23 - Away | 4-5 L |
| 05/02/22 - Away | 13-3 W |
| + 5 more games |
Becton is 8-2 against Wood-Ridge since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Wildcats are taking a road trip to challenge the Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Becton's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Garfield with a sharp 16-0 win. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Boilermakers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Francesca Buda was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Nina Buda and Kaitlyn Reiner did most of the damage at the plate: Nina scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances, while Reiner went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Morgan Decker was another key player, scoring two runs.
Meanwhile, Wood-Ridge posted their closest win since May 15, 2024 on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hasbrouck Heights, sneaking past 4-2.
Like Becton, Wood-Ridge also got a great game from a two-way player: Natalia Nieves. She pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those hits marked the first that Nieves allowed this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Brooke Stellato was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. Isabella Catanzaro also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Becton's record now sits at 2-0-1. As for Wood-Ridge, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Wood-Ridge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Becton has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Wood-Ridge, though, as they've been averaging 10.8 hits. Given Becton's sizable advantage in that area, the Blue Devils will need to find a way to close that gap.
Becton skirted past Wood-Ridge 4-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
