Wallington and Becton are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Wallington will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
Wallington had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 17-run drubbing they dealt Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology on Wednesday. The Panthers never let the Lions get on the board and left with a 17-0 victory. The Panthers not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 16, 2024 (when they won 19-1).
Alex Syby made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Wallington is 2-1 when he allows at most three earned runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Syby was even better at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Jordan Kassteen was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Perry, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Wallington always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Becton challenged Midland Park on Wednesday. The Wildcats won by a run and slipped past the Panthers 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildcats have posted since April 2nd.
Becton has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Wallington, the win got them back to even at 5-5.
Wallington suffered a grim 21-4 defeat to Becton in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
