Baseball Game Preview: Melrose Buffaloes vs. Dexter Demons

The Melrose Buffaloes will face off against the Dexter Demons at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Melrose has given up an average of 12.1 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Melrose was handed a 15-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Monday. They skirted past Elida 13-12. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Buffaloes as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Cy Draper

Batters Struck Out (Career)

04/21/25 vs Elida	8
04/19/24 vs Cimarron	6
04/11/25 @ Elida	4
03/21/25 vs West Las Vegas	4
04/14/25 @ Dora	3

Cy Draper made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off only one hit. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Melrose: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-7 otherwise.

In other batting news, Melrose let Josiah Roybal and Briar Larson run wild. Roybal got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Larson went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Melrose is undefeated when Roybal posts two or more stolen bases, but 3-8 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Max Sena, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.

Melrose kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 6-2 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, Dexter was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They lost 16-2 to Tularosa.

Dexter's defeat dropped their record down to 5-11. As for Melrose, the win got them back to even at 8-8.

Everything went Melrose's way against Dexter when the teams last played back in March of 2022, as Melrose made off with a 15-8 victory. Do the Buffaloes have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Demons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.