The Gateway Christian Warriors will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the Melrose Buffaloes at 1:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Two weeks ago, Gateway Christian made easy work of Dora and carried off a 15-1 win.
Rayford Fulkerson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. Fulkerson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. 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.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Melrose had no problem doing just that on Wednesday. They never let the Steers onto the board and left with a 19-0 victory. That looming 19-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Melrose yet this season.
Like Gateway Christian, Melrose also got a great game from a two-way player: Mike Cardonita. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. 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.
Gateway Christian has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. As for Melrose, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 12-6.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gateway Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .550. However, it's not like Melrose struggles in that department as they've averaged .463. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Gateway Christian's way against Melrose when the teams last played back in April of 2019 as Gateway Christian made off with a 7-1 victory. Does Gateway Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Melrose turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
