Cranford took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against Scotch Plains-Fanwood, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Raiders 7-6. This was a revenge game for the Cougars: when they faced off against the Raiders back in April, they had to take a 11-4 defeat.
Patrick Bendert was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and only one walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-7 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Michael Tripodi
| 05/01/25 @ Scotch Plains-Fanwood | 4 |
| 04/22/25 vs Union | 4 |
| 04/01/25 @ Oratory Prep | 3 |
| 04/23/25 vs Marlboro | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Roselle Park | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
In other batting news, Cranford got a massive performance out of Michael Tripodi, who got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with four stolen bases and one run. The Cougars are undefeated when Tripodi posts two or more stolen bases, but 2-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Brayden Fry, who got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Cranford has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Scotch Plains-Fanwood, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost six of their last seven matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-7 record this season.
We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Cranford is set to take on their familiar foe Governor Livingston at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, Scotch Plains-Fanwood will square off against rival New Providence at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
