The Hialeah Gardens Gladiators will head out to take on the American Patriots at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hialeah Gardens will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
On Wednesday, Hialeah Gardens was able to grind out a solid victory over Downtown Doral, taking the game 10-5. That's two games straight that the Gladiators have won by exactly five runs.
The team relied heavily on Anthony Castillo, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. Alberto Enriquez also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Castillo wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Hialeah Gardens kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. The Gladiators are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, American came into Tuesday's contest having lost eight straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They had just enough and edged out iMater Charter 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Patriots have posted since April 4, 2024.
American saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Anthony Garcia, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Another was Dante Vitola, who scored two runs while getting on base in both of his plate appearances.
Hialeah Gardens' victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-8. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for American, their record is now 2-8.
American's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hialeah Gardens has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. It's a different story for American, though, as they've only averaged .326. Will they be able to contain Hialeah Gardens' hitters?
Hialeah Gardens took their victory against American in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Gladiators since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
