Sanford has won 12 straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Wilmington Friends has won 12 straight on the road also dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Warriors will welcome the Quakers at 4:30 p.m. The last four games Sanford has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Sanford is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Delaware's top teams: Concord, who was ranked 23rd at the time (Sanford was ranked tenth). The Warriors sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over the Raiders on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Raiders: they've now won three in a row.
| 05/01/25 vs Concord | 8 |
| 04/25/25 @ Newark Charter School | 5 |
| 04/19/25 @ St. Elizabeth | 11 |
| 04/10/25 @ Wilmington Charter | 6 |
| 04/05/25 @ Brandywine | 12 |
| 03/27/25 @ Mount Pleasant | 10 |
John Malloy spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sanford saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alex Gannon, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Zy'Rin Smack also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Wilmington Friends hadn't beaten Wilmington Charter on the road since April 6, 2019 but that history sure didn't bother them on Saturday. The Quakers came out on top against the Force by a score of 12-8.
The team relied heavily on Ronny Berry, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Wilmington Friends' success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 4-6 when he doesn't). Jack Heckles was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Wilmington Friends kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 10.8.
Wilmington Friends is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Sanford, their victory bumped their record up to 13-2.
Wilmington Friends' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Sanford hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. It's a different story for Wilmington Friends, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain Sanford's hitters?
Sanford skirted past Wilmington Friends 2-0 when the teams last played back in April. Do the Warriors have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Quakers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
