The Widefield Gladiators will face off against the Discovery Canyon Thunder at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Widefield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Widefield will bounce into Saturday's matchup after beating Mesa Ridge, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Gladiators came out on top against the Grizzlies by a score of 6-1 on Friday. Surprisingly, this marked the Gladiators' third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Haven Johnson
| 05/09/25 @ Mesa Ridge | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Harrison | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Harrison | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs Severance | 1 |
| 03/11/25 @ The Classical Academy | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Haven Johnson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Braeden Mitton was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Discovery Canyon waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victors by a 12-6 margin over the Red-Tailed Hawks. The result was nothing new for the Thunder, who have now won 15 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Discovery Canyon also got a great performance from Andrew Torres as he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Torres has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Nate Singleton was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Pierce Hafferkamp, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Discovery Canyon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive matches.
Widefield is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Discovery Canyon, their victory bumped their record up to 16-5.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Widefield has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Discovery Canyon struggles in that department as they've averaged .483. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Widefield might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Discovery Canyon in their previous matchup back in April of 2019. Can the Gladiators avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
