Baseball Game Preview: Estacado Matadors vs. Decatur Eagles

The Estacado Matadors will take on the Decatur Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. The last five games Estacado has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Estacado is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Brownwood 4-3. That's two games straight that the Matadors have won by just one run.

Meanwhile, Decatur came tearing into Thursday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 13-0 margin over Carter-Riverside. Decatur might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 contests by six runs or more this season.

Blaze Grider looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Caden Hill and James Mahoney did most of the damage at the plate: Hill went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run, while Mahoney went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most doubles Hill has posted since back in February. Jed Ross was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.

Decatur kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Decatur pushed their record up to 18-15-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Estacado, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-16-1 record this season.