Baseball Game Preview: Durango Trailblazers vs. Hemet Bulldogs

The Durango Trailblazers will take on the Hemet Bulldogs in a tournament on Wednesday. Durango is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.

Durango had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Mission Vista on Tuesday. The Trailblazers blew past Mission Vista 11-3.

Alexander Mercurius made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.

Carson Crosby

Stolen Base (Career)

04/01/25 @ Mission Vista	3
04/01/25 @ Escondido	2
05/18/24 vs Silverado	2
03/19/25 vs Las Vegas	1
03/18/25 vs Sierra Vista	1

In other batting news, Durango let Jayden Shuford and Carson Crosby run wild. Shuford scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Crosby scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Those three stolen bases gave Crosby a new career-high. Bode Ludens also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.

Meanwhile, Hemet didn't have quite enough to beat Escondido on Tuesday and fell 3-2.

Durango is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Hemet, their loss dropped their record down to 6-8.