The Ridgefield Park Scarlets will head out on the road to face off against the Cliffside Park Raiders at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Ridgefield Park fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Cresskill on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Cougars by a score of 8-7. The Scarlets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Ryan Lewis put in work while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other pitching news, Ryan Fowler was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off four hits. That one earned run gave him a new career-low.
Back at the plate, Anthony Almonte and Justin Maldonado did some serious damage despite the final result: Almonte went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI, while Maldonado went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that Maldonado has hit this season. Jason Alvarado was another key player, going 1-for-5 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Cliffside Park didn't have quite enough to beat Westwood on Thursday and fell 7-5. That's two games in a row now that the Raiders have lost by exactly two runs.
Derek Sanchez was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Nicolas Ortiz, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Ridgefield Park's record is now 9-7. As for Cliffside Park, they now have a losing record of 7-8.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ridgefield Park has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like Cliffside Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ridgefield Park beat Cliffside Park 5-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Scarlets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
