Masterman will square off against the Thomas A. Edison Owls at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Masterman took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Everything went their way against Nueva Esperanza as they made off with a 19-4 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Masterman considering their one-run performance the match before.
Gabe Larosa
| 05/02/25 vs Nueva Esperanza | 9 |
| 03/27/25 vs Carver High School of Engineering & Science | 7 |
| 04/30/24 vs Central | 6 |
| 03/15/24 @ Carver High School of Engineering & Science | 6 |
| 04/24/24 @ Science Leadership Academy | 5 |
Gabe Larosa made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Masterman: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-6-1 otherwise.
In other batting news, Athanasios Mondlak was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Noah Seder was another key player, going 2-for-3 with four stolen bases and four runs.
Masterman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .629. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Nueva Esperanza only posted an OBP of .455.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Thomas A. Edison rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Warriors with a sharp 10-1 victory. The win was nothing new for the Owls as they're now sitting on six straight.
Like Masterman, Thomas A. Edison also got a great game from a two-way player: Erick Torres-Brito. On the mound, Torres-Brito struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Meanwhile, Junior Rodriguez-Duran pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. At bat, Torres-Brito went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI, while Rodriguez-Duran got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Thomas A. Edison got a massive performance out of Yonser Bautista-Mota, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with six stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Welfry Herrera, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with five stolen bases and two runs.
Masterman's victory bumped their record up to 4-6-1. As for Thomas A. Edison, their win bumped their record up to 11-2.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Masterman has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. However, it's not like Thomas A. Edison struggles in that department as they've averaged .477. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Masterman's way against Thomas A. Edison in their previous matchup back in April of 2015, as Masterman made off with a 16-6 victory. Will Masterman repeat their success, or does Thomas A. Edison has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
