Dunellen has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Carteret Ramblers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Dunellen is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
Dunellen lost 9-3 to Roselle Park on Tuesday.
Dunellen saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Danny Watts, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Luke Shealy was another key contributor, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Carteret gave their fans yet another huge victory on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Dickinson with a sharp 11-1 win. Winning may never get old, but Carteret sure is getting used to it with their third in a row.
James Rodriguez made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Rodriguez has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Rodriguez was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Eric Thompson, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Lucas Rivera, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Dunellen has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-10 record this season. As for Carteret, they pushed their record up to 15-6 with that victory, which was their third straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Dunellen has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Carteret struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Dunellen suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Carteret in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Thankfully for Dunellen, Jhoalvin Ledesma (who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
