The South Hunterdon Eagles will take on the Franklin Warriors at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. South Hunterdon is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, South Hunterdon needed a bit of extra time to put away Belvidere. They walked away with a 14-9 victory over the County Seaters. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the County Seaters: they've now won five in a row.
Elsie Scheetz spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered seven earned (and two unearned) runs on 14 hits.
At the plate, Anika Balog was incredible, going 2-for-6 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. She also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Erin O'Rourke was another key player, going 3-for-6 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: South Hunterdon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Franklin's offense. They fell 4-0 to Hillsborough on Friday. The Warriors haven't had much luck with the Raiders recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Franklin's defeat dropped their record down to 10-9. As for South Hunterdon, their victory bumped their record up to 14-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. South Hunterdon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
South Hunterdon couldn't quite get it done against Franklin in their previous meeting back in May of 2025 as they fell 8-5. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.