The Bergen Tech Knights will square off against the Emerson Cavaliers at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bergen Tech barely beat Clifton the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Knights put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 7-1 victory on Thursday. The win continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won five in a row.
Shannon Quigley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on six hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Natalie Wexler, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jenny Xu, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Emerson waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over the Golden Hawks.
Sophia Centeno made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Julia Seretis was incredible, going 2-for-3 with five RBI, one triple, and one double. Another player making a difference was Sophie Nisonoff, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Emerson kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive games.
Bergen Tech's victory bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Emerson, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Bergen Tech hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .358. However, it's not like Emerson struggles in that department as they've averaged .324. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bergen Tech beat Emerson 11-8 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Cavaliers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
