The Newark Academy Minutemen are taking a road trip to challenge the Oratory Prep Rams at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Newark Academy made easy work of Bloomfield and carried off a 9-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Minutemen, who have now won four contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Jared Levine spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Ryan Zhu
| 04/25/25 vs Bloomfield | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ West Orange | 1 |
| 04/19/25 vs Belleville | 1 |
| 04/16/25 vs Montclair Kimberley Academy | 1 |
| 04/09/25 vs St. Benedict's Prep | 1 |
| + 3 more games |
At the plate, Ryan Zhu was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Avery Sampson, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Oratory Prep came tearing into Friday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured an 11-10 W against the Farmers.
Caden Breault made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off two hits. Breault was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Oratory Prep got a massive performance out of Patrick Keown, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was Keown's first of the season. Logan Costello was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
Oratory Prep hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive games.
Oratory Prep's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Newark Academy, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-3.
Newark Academy might still be hurting after the 9-2 loss they got from Oratory Prep when the teams last played back in April of 2018. Can the Minutemen avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
