Melbourne had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt IMG Academy Royal on Monday. The Bulldogs blew past the Ascenders 12-2. For the Bulldogs, this counts as revenge for the 9-4 win the Ascenders walked away with the last time they faced one another back in March of 2025.
Sean Gates tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Melbourne got a massive performance out of Maddux Keeley, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with five stolen bases and four runs. Those five stolen bases gave Keeley a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jayden Santos, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and five RBI.
Bulldogs
| 03/23/26 vs IMG Academy Royal | 12-2 |
| 03/20/26 vs Merritt Island | 3-2 |
| 03/19/26 vs Heritage | 11-2 |
| 03/17/26 @ Bayside | 7-2 |
| 03/13/26 @ Vero Beach | 1-0 |
| + 6 more games |
The victory was the 11th in a row for Melbourne, bringing their record up to 15-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for IMG Academy Royal, with the loss, they broke their nine-game winning streak and moved their record to 11-2.
Looking ahead, Melbourne will take on Doral Academy in a tournament on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Bulldogs 3.6, the Firebirds 1.9) so any runs scored will be well earned. As for IMG Academy Royal, they will be taking part in a tournament against Archbishop McCarthy at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
