The Newark Catholic Green Wave will challenge the Ridgedale Rockets at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Newark Catholic has given up an average of 6.8 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Newark Catholic is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 15 runs on Wednesday, they were much more limited against Lakewood on Monday. They lost 12-2 to the Lancers. The Green Wave have struggled against the Lancers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Joanna Bailey 2026 made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ridgedale, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They blew past Mansfield Christian 16-3 last Monday. The Rockets haven't had any issues with the Flames recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Kiley Slone made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits (and only one walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.8 strikeouts per game. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
In other batting news, Ridgedale got a massive performance out of Karmandi Huffman, who went 2-for-4 with two triples, five RBI, and two runs. Those two triples gave Huffman a new career-high. Hannah Murphy was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Ridgedale always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mansfield Christian only posted an OBP of .158.
The win got Ridgedale back to even at 2-2. As for Newark Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 2-2.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Newark Catholic has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. However, it's not like Ridgedale struggles in that department as they've averaged .480. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Newark Catholic was able to grind out a solid victory over Ridgedale when the teams last played back in May of 2025, winning 5-0. Will the Green Wave repeat their success, or do the Rockets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
