The American Patriots are taking a road trip to square off against the Hialeah Gardens Gladiators at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
American will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run back in March, then bounced right back against Goleman on Tuesday. The Patriots never let the Gators get on the board and left with an 18-0 win. The Patriots haven't had any issues with the Gators recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Mia Harrison made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one RBI.
In other batting news, Solange Aleman was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024. Ashley Ramon was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2.
American was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .684. They are 8-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Hialeah Gardens entered their tilt with Hialeah two weeks ago with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They were the clear victors by a 15-3 margin over the Thoroughbreds.
Hialeah Gardens let Delania Aleman and Krystina Martinez run wild. Aleman went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Martinez went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that Martinez launched this season. Another player making a difference was Kylie Brenner, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Hialeah Gardens pushed their record up to 5-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.8 runs over those games. As for American, their record now sits at 9-5.
Hialeah Gardens' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: American has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Hialeah Gardens, though, as they've been averaging 10.8 hits. Given American's sizable advantage in that area, the Gladiators will need to find a way to close that gap.
American took their win against Hialeah Gardens in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 14-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
