The Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] Spartans will face off against the Monmouth United Red Storm at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] has nine straight wins, Monmouth United has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Monday, Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] got the win against Galva by a conclusive 7-1. Considering the Spartans have won eight matches by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Gabby Dean was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Mackenzie Peck was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Kenlee Carlson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two doubles.
Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Monmouth United's offense. They came up short against Knoxville on Thursday, falling 13-0.
Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge]'s victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-6. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.4 runs over those games. As for Monmouth United, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-18.
Monmouth United's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Monmouth United, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] keep running through batters, or will the Red Storm buck the trend?
Everything went Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge]'s way against Monmouth United in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] made off with a 17-0 victory. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Red Storm turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
