The Union Catholic Vikings will face off against the Rutgers Prep Argonauts at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Union Catholic's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Rutgers Prep's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Thursday, Union Catholic came up short against Somerville and fell 6-3. The loss was the Vikings' first of the season.
Union Catholic got a good showing from Jake Revuelta, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Union Catholic saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Greg Viloria, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Viloria also brought in an RBI, marking his first of the season.
Meanwhile, Rutgers Prep hadn't done well against Delaware Valley recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Argonauts skirted past the Terriers 1-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Argonauts have posted against the Terriers since April 27, 2017.
The result came thanks to Li Perez's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up 17 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
The victory made it two in a row for Rutgers Prep and bumps their season record up to 4-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 3 runs in those games. As for Union Catholic, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Union Catholic has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rutgers Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Union Catholic came out on top in a nail-biter against Rutgers Prep in their previous meeting back in April of 2019, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
