For the first time this season, New Providence will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They are taking a road trip to challenge the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Things were looking good for New Providence after they put the first runs on the board on Tuesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Union Catholic by a score of 4-2. The Pioneers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
New Providence saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Troy Faucher, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Scotch Plains-Fanwood came tearing into Tuesday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Cougars as they made off with an 11-4 win.
Davis Murphy looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Scotch Plains-Fanwood let Jack Sponheimer and Ian Losardo run wild. Sponheimer went 2-for-5 with one home run and three RBI, while Losardo went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Those RBI marked the first that Sponheimer brought in this season. Another player making a difference was Ronnie Germinder, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood 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 of 2024.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood's record now sits at 4-1. As for New Providence, they now have a losing record of 1-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. New Providence has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Scotch Plains-Fanwood struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went New Providence's way against Scotch Plains-Fanwood in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as New Providence made off with a 10-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
