Bergen Catholic is a perfect 3-0 against Hackensack since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Crusaders will welcome the Comets at 4:15 p.m. Bergen Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Bergen Catholic's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They put the hurt on Hudson Catholic with a sharp 12-0 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Crusaders considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Joa Rivera tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
Danny Graziano
| 04/18/26 vs Hudson Catholic | 3 |
| 03/28/26 @ Cresskill | 2 |
| 03/24/26 @ Emerson | 2 |
| 04/15/26 vs Paramus Catholic | 1 |
| 04/11/26 @ Archbishop Stepinac | 1 |
On the hitting side, Thomas Harmke and Danny Graziano did most of the damage at the plate: Harmke went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI, while Graziano went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one double. Those three runs gave Graziano a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Anthony Martino, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Bergen Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least two batters in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Hackensack hadn't done well against Lodi recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Comets had just enough and edged out the Blue Wolves 2-0. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Comets as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Not much got past Luis Hernandez, who gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks to keep Lodi off the board. Hernandez has become a key player for Hackensack: the team is 3-1 when he allows at most three hits, but 4-5 otherwise.
At the plate, Darius Pemberton was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and one run.
Hackensack now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Bergen Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 10-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bergen Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hackensack struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bergen Catholic got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 against Hackensack by a conclusive 10-0 score. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Comets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
