Maple Shade baseball thrives under the bright lights in primetime matchup with division rival Holy Cross

Maple Shade's Aaron Wells (right) applies the tag on a play at the plate against Holy Cross in the baseball game played at Trenton Thunder Ballpark in Trenton, New Jersey on Monday, April 7, 2025. Collin Conway/D2 Sports Network

TRENTON (N.J.) - Coming off of a 22-10 loss to Burlington Township, the Maple Shade High School baseball team was full of anticipation ahead of its matchup with Holy Cross under the lights at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

The Wildcats triumphed over their Burlington County Scholastic League Patriot division foe, 6-3, in a game both sides will fondly remember when reminiscing about their high school baseball days.

"When my AD reached out to me about the offer, I immediately said 'Yes, '" Maple Shade coach Michael Webb said. "The kids were always going to remember this game whether or not they won. The win just makes it even better because they can say, 'Hey, remember that time we played at the Trenton Thunder's stadium and won?'"

Maple Shade started from the go, scoring the game's first run on a wild pitch by Preston Carey. Holy Cross' Luke Rodgers responded by picking up a pair of strikeouts, which were number 100 and 101 for his career.

The Lancers also responded in the bottom half of the first with a two-run single by Rogers, giving them their first and only lead of the game.

Chase Blum re-knotted the game up with an RBI single in the second inning, but the fourth inning was where the tide turned for good in favor of the Wildcats. Nick Stanton ripped an RBI triple to the left-center gap, scoring the go-ahead run.

Maple Shade never wavered, even in the face of an attempt at a Holy Cross comeback. Stanton added an insurance run with a sac fly, followed with another run on a wild pitch.

Connor Stratton toed the rubber for the sixth inning and dialed up a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of punchouts. Stratton then came back out for the save in the final inning and yet again waved good morning, good afternoon, and goodnight to the side with three straight strikeouts and securing a primetime win.

The experience of being able to play in a professional stadium under the lights is a rare one. The Maple Shade Wildcats are one of a select few teams that can say they've won a game in the home of the MLB Draft League's Trenton Thunder.

"Just getting to be out here and have fun with my friends is great," Stanton said. "We didn't really think too much of playing in this stadium, we just wanted to treat it like another game that was a 'must-win' at the end of the day."

Some high schoolers may fold under the pressure of pitching off of a professional mound, under beaming lights and official stadium bleachers throughout the backstop that only a few fields in New Jersey can replicate. For Connor Stratton, it was no sweat.

"I just went out there and played catch with my catcher," Stratton said. "It's cool being able to play here, and it's so much better getting a win, especially a division win. Tonight was cool, but we still have the rest of the season to play."