The Newman Central Catholic Comets will venture away from home to challenge the Princeton Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Newman Central Catholic will be strutting in after a victory while Princeton will be coming in after a loss.
Newman Central Catholic will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Mendota on Monday. The Comets blew past the Trojans 13-3. The win continues a trend for the Comets in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won eight in a row.
Newman Central Catholic got a great performance from Evan Bushman as he pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Bushman has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Daniel Kelly
| 04/28/25 vs Mendota | 3 |
| 03/27/25 @ West Carroll | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Annawan-Wethersfield | 2 |
| 05/02/24 @ Princeton | 2 |
| 04/30/24 @ Mercer County | 2 |
At the plate, Daniel Kelly was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Garret Matznick was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Newman Central Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Princeton unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Monday. They lost 19-3 to Kewanee.
Princeton saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jordan Reinhardt, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Newman Central Catholic pushed their record up to 16-3-1 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Princeton, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-5-2.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Newman Central Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Princeton struggles in that department as they've averaged .462. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Newman Central Catholic came out on top in a nail-biter against Princeton when the teams last played on April 10th, sneaking past 3-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Comets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
