vs
| 04/29/24 - Home | 8-7 W |
| 04/12/24 - Away | 14-4 W |
| 05/04/23 - Home | 6-3 W |
| 04/14/23 - Away | 8-7 W |
| 04/30/22 - Away | 16-10 W |
| + 5 more games |
Newark Catholic and Utica are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Green Wave will challenge the Redskins at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Newark Catholic blew Johnstown-Monroe out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Monday Johnstown-Monroe got their revenge. The Green Wave fell just short of the Johnnies by a score of 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Green Wave have suffered since May 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Utica). They blew past Zanesville 19-0 on Wednesday. With that win, the Redskins brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Cheyene Smith made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Utica got a massive performance out of Kenzie Fletcher, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Kaitlin Evans was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple.
Utica kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.2 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 12.4.
Utica's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-8. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.6 runs over those games. As for Newark Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Newark Catholic hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Utica struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Newark Catholic skirted past Utica 8-7 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Green Wave since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
