Baseball Game Preview: Ashton-Franklin Center Raiders vs. Newark Norsemen

Raiders

Runs

05/14/25 vs Dakota	5
05/13/25 @ Alden-Hebron	22
05/10/25 vs River Ridge	9
05/08/25 vs Morrison	4
05/06/25 @ Morrison	9
+ 22 more games

The Ashton-Franklin Center Raiders will square off against the Newark Norsemen at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Ashton-Franklin Center is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.

Ashton-Franklin Center made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Dakota, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Raiders fell just short of the Indians by a score of 7-5 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Raiders have suffered since May 9, 2024.

Chase Near was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Brock Lehman was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.

Meanwhile, Newark scored first but ultimately less than Somonauk in their game on Thursday. They fell just short of the Bobcats by a score of 4-3.

Jackson Walker made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Eastin Mcbroom, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Ashton-Franklin Center's loss dropped their record down to 16-11. As for Newark, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-18 record this season.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ashton-Franklin Center has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Newark struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.