Cranford is 7-2 against New Providence since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Pioneers at 4:00 p.m. Cranford will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Cranford proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 victory over Marlboro.
Michael Tripodi
| 04/22/25 vs Union | 4 |
| 04/01/25 @ Oratory Prep | 3 |
| 04/23/25 vs Marlboro | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Roselle Park | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Summit | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
The team relied heavily on Michael Tripodi, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Cranford is undefeated when Tripodi posts two or more stolen bases, but 1-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Patrick Bendert, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Summit hit New Providence with a six-run fifth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Pioneers took a 10-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hilltoppers. The Pioneers have struggled against the Hilltoppers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
Matthew Santacross made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Andrew Kruep was another key player, earning one RBI and two runs.
New Providence's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Cranford, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.
Cranford skirted past New Providence 11-9 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pioneers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
