Gardner is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They will host the Maynard Tigers at 3:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, it was close, but Gardner sidestepped Tahanto Regional for a 5-3 win. That looming 5-3 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Wildcats yet this season.
Meanwhile, Maynard put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They never let Murdock get on the board and left with an 18-0 victory. With that win, the Tigers brought their scoring average up to 8 runs per game.
Will Buchholz tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over 4.1 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Maynard got a massive performance out of Max Cedeno, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Alex Derobert was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Maynard hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Murdock struck out ten times.
Maynard's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Gardner, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Gardner suffered a grim 6-0 defeat to Maynard in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
