The Melrose Buffaloes will face off against the Logan Longhorns at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Melrose is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Everything went their way against Gateway Christian as Melrose made off with a 15-4 win. Melrose might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won seven contests by seven runs or more this season.
Mike Cardonita made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Cardonita has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in nine consecutive pitching appearances. Cardonita was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Cy Draper was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Gray Brandon, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Logan made sure to put some runs up on the board against Grady on Thursday. Logan sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 12-11 victory over Grady.
Like Melrose, Logan also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaeden Stoner. He pitched 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Stoner was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Izaiah Kneitz was excellent, going 1-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI. Diego Sanchez was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
The win was the third in a row for Melrose, bringing their record for this year to 13-6. As for Logan, their record now sits at 17-4.
Both the pair just can't seem to miss. Melrose has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.6 hits per game. However, it's not like Logan struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Melrose came out on top in a nail-biter against Logan in their previous matchup two weeks ago, sneaking past 4-2. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Logan's Aydin Kotara, who pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Melrose still be able to contain Kotara? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
