The South Hunterdon Eagles will take on the Keyport Raiders at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
On Thursday, South Hunterdon got the win against Bound Brook by a conclusive 13-1. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Crusaders recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Landon Katz
| 04/24/25 vs Bound Brook | 2 |
| 04/19/25 vs East Brunswick Vo-Tech | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Manville | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Voorhees | 1 |
South Hunterdon let Trevor Lingerfield and Landon Katz run wild. Lingerfield got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Katz went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two runs gave Katz a new career-high. Aaron Parisi was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
South Hunterdon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They are 4-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Keyport never let their opponents score on Thursday. They put the hurt on Asbury Park with a sharp 15-0 victory. The Raiders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 14 runs or more this season.
Tristan Knoblauch and Jacob Pinto made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Knoblauch struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Pinto pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Knoblauch has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season. At bat, Knoblauch got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Pinto went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryan Byrne, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Keyport's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 1-3 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Danny Metrick, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Keyport now has a winning record of 4-3. As for South Hunterdon, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. South Hunterdon has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .454. However, it's not like Keyport struggles in that department as they've averaged .483. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
