Baseball Game Preview: Grafton Gators vs. Tantasqua Regional Warriors

The Grafton Gators are taking a road trip to challenge the Tantasqua Regional Warriors at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Grafton 4, Tantasqua Regional 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.

On Friday, Grafton came up short against Ashland and fell 5-2. The Gators have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Grafton saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was C.J. Chagnon, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base.

Meanwhile, Tantasqua Regional had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They walked away with a 5-2 win over the Orioles.

Tantasqua Regional also got a great performance from Miles Blake as he struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Blake has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brandon Phillips, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Chace Fredette also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Tantasqua Regional kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.

Tantasqua Regional's record is now 6-1. As for Grafton, they now have a losing record of 2-3.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Grafton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tantasqua Regional struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Grafton might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Tantasqua Regional in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Gators avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.