Baseball Game Preview: Douglass Bulldogs vs. Cheney Cardinals

Douglass hasn't had much luck against Cheney recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Bulldogs will head out on the road to challenge the Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Douglass will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.

Douglass' pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They blew past Belle Plaine 15-0. Considering the Bulldogs have won four matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Cheney and Medicine Lodge meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Cardinals came out on top against the Indians by a score of 7-2. The victory continues a trend for the Cardinals in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won three in a row.

Josh Burdick made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaden Ludwig, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Cameron Eastman was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Cheney lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since the start of last season.

Douglass' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Cheney, their record is now 11-3.

Douglass might still be hurting after the 18-2 loss they got from Cheney in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.