The Oratory Prep Rams will square off against the Union Catholic Vikings at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Oratory Prep needed a bit of extra time to put away Dayton. They had just enough and edged out the Bulldogs 3-2.
Peter Van Raamsdonk
| 04/05/25 vs Mountain Lakes | 5 |
| 04/10/25 @ Elizabeth | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Cranford | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ New Providence | 1 |
Peter Van Raamsdonk looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Oratory Prep's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Logan Costello, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Union Catholic). They came out on top against Scotch Plains-Fanwood by a score of 14-9 on Wednesday. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Brayden Morrison was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Nick Anderson was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Union Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Scotch Plains-Fanwood struck out seven times.
Union Catholic's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Oratory Prep, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Oratory Prep has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Union Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Oratory Prep couldn't quite get it done against Union Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 9-6. Will the Rams have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
