The Midland Park Panthers will square off against the Secaucus Patriots at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Midland Park put up the most runs they have all season on Friday. They walked away with an 11-7 win over Cresskill. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won eight in a row.
| 04/25/25 vs Cresskill | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs North Bergen | 1 |
| 04/10/25 vs Dwight-Englewood | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Park Ridge | 1 |
| 04/02/25 @ Pompton Lakes | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Midland Park got a big performance out of Chase Shortway, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. What's more, Shortway posted two hits, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Fleming, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Secaucus got their first taste of in-conference action on Friday and they started things off strong. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over Harrison. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for the Patriots this season.
Connor Miicallovich and Ben Garbo made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Miicallovich struck out six batters over two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Garbo pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Miicallovich has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. At bat, Miicallovich went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base, while Garbo got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Miicallovich also brought in two RBI, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Jason Mendoza was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Joe Pepe was another key player, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.
Secaucus always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .564. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The win made it two in a row for Secaucus and bumps their season record up to 4-9. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Midland Park, their win bumped their record up to 7-3-1.
Midland Park beat Secaucus 8-4 in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
