Englewood has gone a perfect 3-0 against Gateway recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Pirates will head out on the road to challenge the Olympians at 10:00 a.m. Englewood has given up an average of 7.9 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Englewood had taken Fort Lupton down for four straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Monday. The Pirates lost 12-6 to the Bluedevils.
Grant Pebbles
| 04/14/25 vs Fort Lupton | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ Arvada | 2 |
| 03/31/25 vs Middle Park | 1 |
| 03/26/25 @ Bennett | 1 |
| 03/24/25 vs Thornton | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs DSST: Montview | 0 |
Grant Pebbles put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and six unearned) runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
In other batting news, Ethan Lort made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Cristian Ayala was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Gateway had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. Everything went their way against the Trojans as they made off with a 10-4 victory. Considering the Olympians have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Englewood, Gateway also got a great game from a two-way player: Heber Almeida. He struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off 12 hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts Almeida has posted since back in April of 2024. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Gateway: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mervin Loya, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Angel Ferrusquia, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run.
Gateway kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in four consecutive matchups.
Gateway's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Englewood, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Englewood has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Gateway struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Englewood took their win against Gateway in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 17-7 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pirates since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
