The Poinciana Eagles will square off against the Gateway Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Poinciana lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Davenport, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's game. Poinciana was the clear victor by a 16-5 margin over Davenport last Thursday. With that win, the Eagles brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Fransisco Rodriguez
| 03/13/25 @ Davenport | 14 |
| 04/29/24 @ Celebration | 6 |
| 03/21/24 vs Gateway | 6 |
| 03/07/24 vs Liberty | 4 |
| 03/04/24 @ Gateway | 3 |
Fransisco Rodriguez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out 14 batters over 4.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Those 14 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with six RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Jose Mendez and Nick Gomez did most of the damage at the plate: Mendez scored four runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4, while Gomez scored four runs and stole four bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Mendez also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Miguel Feliciano, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Poinciana always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .634. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Gateway waltzed into their matchup last Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Everything went their way against the Bulls as they made off with a 13-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won six contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Like Poinciana, Gateway also got a great game from a two-way player: Maicol Santiago. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Santiago has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Diego Vazqueztell, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. He has become a key player for Gateway: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-5 otherwise. Adrian Just was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Poinciana's win bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Gateway, their victory bumped their record up to 8-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Poinciana has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Gateway struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Poinciana might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Gateway in their previous matchup back in February. Will Poinciana have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
