Princeton has gone 8-2 against Newman Central Catholic recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Tigers will be playing at home against the Comets at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Princeton's win against Mercer County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tigers narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Golden Eagles 6-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Tigers.
Piper Hansen
| 04/07/26 vs Mercer County | 1 |
| 03/27/26 @ Geneseo | 1 |
| 03/24/26 vs LaSalle-Peru | 0 |
Piper Hansen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Avah Oertel, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. Keely Lawson was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Newman Central Catholic never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Forreston on Wednesday. They blew past the Cardinals 10-1. Considering the Comets have won three games by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gianna Vance was excellent, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lucy Oetting, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Newman Central Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .382. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Forreston only posted a batting average of .000.
Newman Central Catholic's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Princeton, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Princeton's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Tigers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Newman Central Catholic, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Princeton continue to outrun the ball?
Princeton got the 'W' when the teams last played on Monday against Newman Central Catholic by a conclusive 14-0 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Comets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
