The Gateway Gators are headed away from home for the first time to take on the Franklin Regional Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Gateway made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Penn Hills, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Gators put the hurt on the Indians with a sharp 16-1 win on Friday. Considering the Gators' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Alayna Dawson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Dawson was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Gateway got a big performance out of Rylee Beavin, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1. Beavin also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Samantha Robl, who scored three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Gateway hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Penn Hills struck out six times.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Franklin Regional). Everything went their way against Kiski Area on Wednesday as they made off with a 12-2 victory. The Panthers have beaten the Cavaliers the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Cavaliers has come to flipping the script.
Franklin Regional let Toryn Fulton and Ciara Camacho run wild. Fulton went 2-for-3 with one home run, six stolen bases, and three runs, while Camacho went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Camacho has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of CC Copeland, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Gateway now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Franklin Regional, they now also have a winning record of 3-2.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Gateway hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like Franklin Regional struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gateway suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Franklin Regional in their previous matchup back in April of 2017. Can the Gators avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
