The Neptune Scarlet Fliers are taking a road trip to face off against the Raritan Rockets at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Neptune took a nine-run defeat the last time they faced off against Freehold Township, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Scarlet Fliers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Patriots on Tuesday, sneaking past 7-5. The Scarlet Fliers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Hunter Morgan made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Morgan was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with one home run, two runs, and one double. He also put up an RBI, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Javier Lemus was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Trevor Rummel also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Meanwhile, Raritan posted their closest victory since May 6, 2024 on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Red Bank Regional 3-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rockets.
Raritan also got a great performance from Alan Warren as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over six innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave Warren a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Travis Evernham, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Antonio Lamberti, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Neptune's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Raritan, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Neptune came up short against Raritan in their previous matchup back in April of 2016, falling 6-2. Can the Scarlet Fliers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
