Baseball Game Preview: Johns Creek Gladiators vs. Lanier Longhorns

The Johns Creek Gladiators are taking a road trip to take on the Lanier Longhorns at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Johns Creek's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Lanier's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Johns Creek made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Milton, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Johns Creek was the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Milton on Friday. While the Gladiators didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, Lanier had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 7-3 win over Chattahoochee on Friday.

Ethan Curtis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Nicholas Sampona was incredible, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Lanier is 3-1 when Sampona posts two or more runs, but 1-8 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Lee, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Lanier's victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-5 and their overall record up to 4-9. As for Johns Creek, their record now sits at 7-3.

Johns Creek came out on top in a nail-biter against Lanier when the teams last played back in February of 2021, sneaking past 6-5. Will Johns Creek repeat their success, or does Lanier have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.