Marlboro and Red Bank Catholic are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2015, but likely not for long. The Mustangs will challenge the Caseys at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Marlboro 3.5, Red Bank Catholic 1.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Marlboro is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs on Monday, they were much more limited against Middletown North on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Lions by a score of 2-1. The Mustangs' loss signaled the end of their six-game winning streak.
Emily Gaudio
| 04/22/25 @ Middletown North | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Rumson-Fair Haven | 0 |
| 04/17/25 @ Middletown South | 1 |
Emily Gaudio was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles.
Meanwhile, Red Bank Catholic entered their tilt with Morris Catholic on Wednesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They came out on top against the Crusaders by a score of 6-1.
Lily Hagan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, Nicole Knox was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one double. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Grace Lombardi, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Red Bank Catholic pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Marlboro, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-5.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Marlboro hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Red Bank Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .335. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Marlboro might still be hurting after the 8-2 loss they got from Red Bank Catholic in their previous meeting on April 8th. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
