Baseball Game Preview: Gates Chili Spartans vs. Eastridge Lancers

The Gates Chili Spartans will take on the Eastridge Lancers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Neither Gates Chili nor Eastridge posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Wednesday just wasn't the day for Gates Chili's offense. They fell 4-0 to Spencerport on Wednesday. The Spartans have struggled against the Rangers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Gates Chili saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Andrew McManus, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.

Meanwhile, Eastridge fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Canandaigua Academy on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Braves by a score of 3-2. The Lancers' defeat continues a trend for the team, making it four in a row.

Eamon Smith was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits.

At the plate, Aaden Bishop was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. That run was his first of the season.

Gates Chili now has a losing record of 1-2. As for Eastridge, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.

Gates Chili's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's contest. The Spartans have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Eastridge, though, as they've been averaging only 0.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Gates Chili continue to outrun the ball?

Everything went Gates Chili's way against Eastridge when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Gates Chili made off with a 15-7 win. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Lancers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.