Baseball Game Preview: Neptune Scarlet Fliers vs. Freehold Boro Colonials

Neptune and Freehold Boro are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Scarlet Fliers will venture away from home to square off against the Colonials at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Neptune barely beat Pinelands Regional the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Scarlet Fliers blew past the Wildcats 8-2 on Wednesday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Scarlet Fliers as it put an end to their seven-game losing streak.

Trevor Rummel and Jack Gamba-Ellis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Rummel pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Gamba-Ellis struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. At the plate, Rummel went 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Gamba-Ellis went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Gamba-Ellis also put up a triple, which was his first of the season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordan Torres, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season.

Meanwhile, Freehold Boro hadn't done well against St. John-Vianney recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Colonials walked away with an 8-5 win over the Lancers. The game was the first time the Colonials have beaten the Lancers on their field since April 18, 2022.

Neptune picked up their first home victory, bumping their record up to 2-10. As for Freehold Boro, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-9.

Neptune might still be hurting after the 12-4 defeat they got from Freehold Boro in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Scarlet Fliers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.