The Melrose Buffaloes will take on the Gateway Christian Warriors at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Melrose is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Magdalena a 19-0 shutout. That looming 19-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Melrose yet this season.
Mike Cardonita was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Cardonita has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in eight consecutive pitching appearances. Cardonita was also big at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cy Draper, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Josiah Roybal was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Gateway Christian came tearing into two weeks ago's game with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.3 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by a 15-1 margin over the Coyotes.
Like Melrose, Gateway Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Rayford Fulkerson. He struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. Fulkerson was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a stolen base.
In other batting news, Caleb Moore was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Jacoby Chavez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Melrose has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. As for Gateway Christian, they pushed their record up to 13-5 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Melrose hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .358. However, it's not like Gateway Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Melrose might still be hurting after the 7-1 defeat they got from Gateway Christian in their previous matchup back in April of 2019. Can Melrose avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
