The Montgomery Cougars will take on the Franklin Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Montgomery is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 19-2 margin over Bernards on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Cougars considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Jake Hayes
| 04/24/26 vs Bernards | 3 |
| 04/09/26 vs North Hunterdon | 0 |
| 04/02/26 @ Ridge | 2 |
| 03/28/26 @ Warren Hills Regional | 7 |
Jake Hayes looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Mason Neufeld was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Montgomery is undefeated when Neufeld posts two or more runs, but 4-11-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kenta Komatsu, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
Montgomery always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Franklin never got on the board in their matchup on Thursday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Gill St. Bernard's on Monday. They put the hurt on the Knights with a sharp 27-3 victory. With that win, the Warriors brought their scoring average up to 8.4 runs per game.
Franklin also got a great performance from Ayden Rooney as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over six innings pitched. Rooney has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Dyland Galvan Roche, who went 4-for-6 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Avery Bell was another key player, going 4-for-6 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
The victory snapped Franklin's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 3-5 record. As for Montgomery, their win bumped their record up to 8-11-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Montgomery has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Montgomery skirted past Franklin 7-5 when the teams last played back in April of 2025. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
