American Heritage has gone 8-1 against Somerset Academy recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Patriots will square off against the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
American Heritage is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let American get on the board and left with a 16-0 win. Considering American Heritage has won eight games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Mark Aleman
| 04/15/25 vs American | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Flanagan | 0 |
| 04/04/25 @ Gulf Coast | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ Bishop Verot | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Cardinal Newman | 2 |
| 03/12/25 vs Grace Christian Academy | 1 |
Mark Aleman looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, RJ Machado was a standout: he scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Nicolas Ramos also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
American Heritage hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Somerset Academy got the win against Mater Lakes Academy on Tuesday by a conclusive 10-3.
Somerset Academy also got a great performance from Luis Rivera as he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
At the plate, Hector Sanchez was a standout: he scored three runs and stole six bases. Somerset Academy is 2-1 when Sanchez posts two or more stolen bases, but 9-14 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jon Mora, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
American Heritage's record now sits at 20-6. As for Somerset Academy, their record is now 11-15.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. American Heritage has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Somerset Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went American Heritage's way against Somerset Academy in their previous matchup back in February, as American Heritage made off with a 9-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
