The Vernon Vikings will square off against the Hunterdon Central Red Devils at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Vernon's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Hunterdon Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Vernon is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Wallkill Valley just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against the Rangers, falling 7-1. The game marked the Vikings' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Vernon got a good showing from Joe Esposito, who tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the first time Esposito hasn't allowed a single hit over his last four contests.
Meanwhile, Hunterdon Central had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured an 8-7 W against the Panthers.
Liam Goyette and Jake Masterton dominated on the mound. Goyette tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits, while Masterton pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Trevor Wallace was incredible, going 3-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Danny Contiliano, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Hunterdon Central's victory bumped their record up to 12-10. As for Vernon, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-5.
Vernon suffered a grim 10-1 defeat to Hunterdon Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
