Italy took a 12-run defeat the last time they faced off against Avalon, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Gladiators had just enough and edged out the Eagles 7-6 on Tuesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Gladiators as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Xavier DeLaHoys
| 03/31/26 vs Avalon | 3 |
| 03/24/26 @ Itasca | 1 |
| 03/14/26 @ Venus | 1 |
| 03/13/26 vs Keene | 1 |
| 03/05/26 @ Hillsboro | 1 |
Xavier DeLaHoys made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Tripp Slovak was excellent, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Riley Roldan also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Italy's record now sits at 4-9. As for Avalon, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-6.
Coming up, Italy will challenge Frost at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The Polar Bears have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 9.75 runs per game on average), something the Gladiators will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Avalon, they will host Cross Roads at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
