The Grafton Gators will venture away from home to square off against the Nipmuc Regional Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Grafton's pitching crew has only allowed three runs per game this season, so Nipmuc Regional's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Grafton barely beat Bartlett the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Gators put the hurt on the Indians with a sharp 11-1 victory on Tuesday. The Gators might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Chris Kiesiner
| 04/22/25 vs Bartlett | 11 |
| 04/10/25 @ Auburn | 8 |
| 03/31/25 vs Shepherd Hill Regional | 9 |
| 06/01/24 @ Algonquin Regional | 7 |
| 05/23/24 @ Wachusett Regional | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Chris Kiesiner made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Kiesiner wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was C.J. Chagnon, who went 2-for-4 with one run.
Meanwhile, Nipmuc Regional fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Hopedale on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Blue Raiders by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Warriors have suffered since April 21, 2024.
Grady O'Neil was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
The win made it two in a row for Grafton and bumps their season record up to 4-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 1 runs in those games. As for Nipmuc Regional, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 4-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Grafton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Nipmuc Regional struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Grafton suffered a grim 15-1 defeat to Nipmuc Regional in their previous meeting back in April of 2019. Can the Gators avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
