The Gateway Panthers will head out to square off against the Poinciana Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Poinciana will be up against a hot Gateway team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Gateway was the clear victor by a 13-1 margin over Innovation last Friday. Considering the Panthers have won six matches by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Maicol Santiago
| 03/14/25 vs Innovation | 4 |
| 02/28/25 @ Celebration | 3 |
| 02/13/25 vs Poinciana | 3 |
| 03/13/25 @ Wekiva | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs Heritage | 1 |
Maicol Santiago made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : 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. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Diego Vazqueztell was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Adrian Just, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Gateway kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Poinciana made easy work of Davenport last Thursday and carried off a 16-5 win. With that victory, the Eagles brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Like Gateway, Poinciana also got a great game from a two-way player: Fransisco Rodriguez. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over 4.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Rodriguez 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. Miguel Feliciano was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Gateway's record now sits at 8-5. As for Poinciana, their record is now 3-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Gateway has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Poinciana struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Gateway took their win against Poinciana in their previous matchup back in February by a conclusive 11-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gateway since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
