The Middletown South Eagles will take on Ranney at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last six games Middletown South has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Middletown South blew Ocean Township out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Monday Ocean Township got their revenge. The Eagles fell just short of the Spartans by a score of 3-1. The game marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Middletown South got a good showing from Chris Long, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Middletown South saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Robert Chiusano, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ranney). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Red Bank Regional a 12-0 shutout on Saturday. The victory was familiar territory for Ranney, who have now won three contests in a row.
Justin Kauffman was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Ranney is undefeated when he allows at most two earned runs, but 2-3 otherwise. Kauffman was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Andrew Parisi was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024. Brody Mauro was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
Ranney lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Middletown South has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the losses came by an average of only 1.67 runs. As for Ranney, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Middletown South has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ranney struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Middletown South came out on top in a nail-biter against Ranney in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 5-3. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do Ranney have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
