Daniel has gone a perfect 7-0 against Pickens recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Lions will be playing at home against the Blue Flame at 6:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Daniel has five straight victories, Pickens has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Daniel is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 17-3 margin over Travelers Rest on Wednesday. The Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by eight runs or more this season.
Julian Baldwin made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was his first of the season.
In other pitching news, Luke Turner looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Ty Simpson
| 04/16/25 @ Travelers Rest | 5 |
| 04/15/25 @ Pickens | 4 |
| 03/01/25 @ Walhalla | 3 |
| 04/19/24 vs Pendleton | 3 |
| 04/16/24 @ Pendleton | 2 |
Back at the plate, Daniel got a massive performance out of Ty Simpson, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base while going 3-for-4. Those five RBI gave Simpson a new career-high. Spencer Conn was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two doubles.
Daniel kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Pickens' offense. They lost 14-0 to Daniel on Tuesday.
Daniel's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Pickens, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-14.
Pickens' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Daniel hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .373. It's a different story for Pickens, though, as they've only averaged .206. Will they be able to contain Daniel's hitters?
Daniel took their win against Pickens in their previous meeting on Tuesday by a conclusive 14-0 score. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Blue Flame have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
