Oratory was 7-3 coming into their matchup against Union as well as being 4-1 in the Mountain Division. The boys started off hot with a four run first inning to open up the scoring for either side. The Ram bats were not done yet as in the second inning the Rams went for two more runs while stranding a few as well to make it a 6-0 game. The top of the third inning is when the Union Farmers crept back into this game. After a few Oratory errors the Farmers were able to scratch a few runs across. After many walks, hits, and poor fielding the game was now 6-4 going into the bottom half of the third inning. Freshman Patrick Keown would hit his first career home run to jump start a big day in the stat category. Although the last inning Oratory was at fault for letting Union back in the game, the Farmers would later take advantage in the fourth to tie the game up at seven a piece. Peter VanRaamsdonk would come in relief for Caden Breault and was excellent going two innings and no earned runs. The Rams, behind this great pitching, were able to take the lead 8-7 going into the 6th inning. The Farmers in the next two frames would score 3 runs to take the lead 10-8. Although this seemed bad for the Rams, they still were optimistic for a win. Thomas Albanito would lead the bottom half of the final frame with a single for his first hit of the season. After a fielder’s choice, freshman Brendan Keown would get a hit to bring the go ahead run to the plate. Patrick Keown, with runners on first and second, would hit a RBI double to cut the Union lead in half at 10-9. Senior Ben Gaffney proceeded to hit one up the middle to score both the Keown brothers to clinch a 11-10 victory on a walk off.
The following Monday was when the Rams faced off against Hanover Park on the Hornet’s “Senior Night.” This was the third consecutive year that the Rams were playing Hanover Park away from their normal field to play at “Lurker Park” for their one night game of the season. The Rams lost to Hanover Park for three seasons in a row dating back to 2022. The Rams were motivated to break this streak as they started off hot with a two run first inning. On the bump for the Rams was junior Will Kostka who showed tremendous improvement this time around. The Hornets cut the Rams’ lead in half by getting one run back in the bottom half of the opening inning. Caden Breault would then hit an RBI double to make the Ram lead two once again before Hanover Park tied it up for the majority of the game. Peter VanRaamsdonk followed up Kostka’s solid performance with 3 innings pitched, allowing no earned runs and only one hit. In the seventh Logan Costello was able to get on base with a one out hit by pitch. Costello was able to steal both second and third to knock on the door to take the lead. After Joe Loiacono went down looking, Blake Duddy would follow. Duddy proceeded to hit a two strike curve ball to left center field for a 2 out RBI single to make it a 4-3 game in favor of the Rams. Junior ace Thomas Ablanito earned his second save of the season after working around a leadoff hit by pitch. Oratory would go onto win the game 4-3 to improve their record to 9-3 on the year with three divisional games coming up.
