Oratory Prep extended their losing streak to five on Thursday, dropping them down to 8-16. They took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cranford Cougars. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Cougars this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 6-3 on Monday.
Will Kostka
| 05/07/26 vs Cranford | 2 |
| 05/01/26 @ Scotch Plains-Fanwood | 1 |
| 04/24/26 @ Caldwell | 2 |
| 04/10/26 vs Linden | 0 |
Oratory Prep got a good showing from Will Kostka, who pitched 2.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Kostka has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Gus Grove was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Patrick Keown, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
As for Cranford, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-7. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games.
On Cranford's side, Jackson Schoening spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
At the plate, Cranford let Adam Kielczynski and Quinn Smith run wild. Kielczynski got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Smith went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most stolen bases Kielczynski has posted since back in April of 2025. Brayden Fry was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Coming up, Oratory Prep will host Brearley at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for Cranford, they will take on Roselle Park in a tournament on Saturday.
