The P.K. Yonge Blue Wave will square off against the Vanguard Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Vanguard will be up against a hot P.K. Yonge team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. P.K. Yonge never let Ocala Christian get on the board and left with a 22-0 win on Tuesday. The Blue Wave's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Nico Wheeler was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Wheeler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Preston Splitt, who scored three runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Colt Kramer, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
P.K. Yonge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .774. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Vanguard, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They blew past Crystal River 16-1 on Monday. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Pirates recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Like P.K. Yonge, Vanguard also got a great game from a two-way player: Brendan McLaughlin. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, McLaughlin gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Bobby Blanco was excellent, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Jacob ?Jake? Wells was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Vanguard pushed their record up to 8-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for P.K. Yonge, their victory bumped their record up to 7-3.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. P.K. Yonge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .345. However, it's not like Vanguard struggles in that department as they've averaged .352. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
P.K. Yonge came out on top in a nail-biter against Vanguard in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, sneaking past 4-3. Will P.K. Yonge repeat their success, or does Vanguard have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
