The Ridgefield Park Scarlets will take on the Passaic Valley Hornets at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Ridgefield Park will be strutting in after a win while Passaic Valley will be coming in after a loss.
On Wednesday, Ridgefield Park was able to grind out a solid victory over Cliffside Park, taking the game 11-6. The Scarlets haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Ridgefield Park let Justin Maldonado and Jeremy Ballestas run wild. Maldonado went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Ballestas went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most runs Ballestas has posted since back in April. Jay Mejia was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Ridgefield Park kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.8.
Passaic Valley had taken West Milford down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Wednesday. The Hornets took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Highlanders. The Hornets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Passaic Valley saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Michael Liotti, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Passaic Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 11-5. As for Ridgefield Park, their victory bumped their record up to 11-7.
Passaic Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ridgefield Park has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. It's a different story for Passaic Valley, though, as they've only averaged .357. Will they be able to contain Ridgefield Park's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
