The Oak Knoll Royals will challenge the New Providence Pioneers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Oak Knoll is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 12-6 margin over Union Catholic on Saturday. The win was some much needed relief for the Royals as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
04/26/25 vs Union Catholic | 6 |
04/25/25 @ Hanover Park | 6 |
04/22/25 @ Summit | 9 |
04/16/25 vs Kent Place | 17 |
Kaitlin Wincko was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Oak Knoll got a massive performance out of Sofia Wilches, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Wilches also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Abby Han was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, New Providence won against Union Catholic on Wednesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Pioneers put the hurt on Union with a sharp 11-1 victory. Winning may never get old, but the Pioneers sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Like Oak Knoll, New Providence also got a great game from a two-way player: Ella Celoski. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over six innings pitched. Celoski was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Haley Kessler, who fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Carys Lee, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one double.
New Providence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive matches.
New Providence's win bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Oak Knoll, their victory bumped their record up to 3-6.
Oak Knoll might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from New Providence when the teams last played on April 10th. Will the Royals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.