Baseball Game Preview: Mathis Pirates vs. Orange Grove Bulldogs

The Mathis Pirates will square off against the Orange Grove Bulldogs at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mathis has given up an average of 10.3 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Mathis' last matchup with Santa Gertrudis Academy could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's matchup on Monday. Mathis came up short against Santa Gertrudis Academy, falling 16-5. The Pirates' loss continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.

Brandon Reed was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. EJ Montemayor also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.

Even though they lost, Mathis was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

While Orange Grove didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over Falfurrias on Tuesday.

Zach Wright made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Wright was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

Wright wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Michael Pantoja, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Orange Grove has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-1-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. Mathis' defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.

Mathis might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Orange Grove in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can Mathis avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.