Baseball Game Preview: Franklin Warriors vs. Phillipsburg Stateliners

The Franklin Warriors will head out on the road to take on the Phillipsburg Stateliners at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Phillipsburg took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Franklin, who comes in off a win.

Franklin was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Trenton Central on Saturday. The Warriors blew past the Tornadoes 10-0. That looming 10-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Warriors yet this season.

Franklin got a great performance from Shayne Rooney as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over 4.2 innings pitched. Rooney also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Warriors are 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-3 otherwise.

At the plate, Izaiah Robinson and Stanley Madera did most of the damage at the plate: Robinson went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Madera went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. Robinson is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Michael Schiermeyer also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Phillipsburg was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They came up short against Madison, falling 12-2.

Phillipsburg's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Franklin, their win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-4.

Franklin came out on top in a nail-biter against Phillipsburg in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, sneaking past 5-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.