Warwick is 2-8 against Monroe-Woodbury since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Wildcats will challenge the Crusaders at 11:00 a.m. Warwick will be strutting in after a victory while Monroe-Woodbury will be coming in after a defeat.
Warwick is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They walked away with a 6-3 win over Minisink Valley on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.
Cole Haskew was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Haskew was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Those RBI marked the first that he brought in this season.
In other batting news, Tristan Sasse and Luca Siebert did most of the damage at the plate: Sasse went 1-for-3 with one home run, while Siebert scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Sasse also scored a run, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Garrison Sobo, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Warwick lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Monroe-Woodbury's offense. They fell just short of Middletown by a score of 2-0 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Crusaders have suffered since April 26, 2024.
Lucas Beers was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Monroe-Woodbury saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Noah Brito, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Having lost for the first time this season, Monroe-Woodbury fell to 3-1. As for Warwick, their record is now 2-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Warwick has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Monroe-Woodbury struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Warwick suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Monroe-Woodbury in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
