The Dunnellon Tigers are taking a road trip to face off against the Vanguard Knights at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Dunnellon is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Lake Weir on Friday. Dunnellon blew past Lake Weir 19-2. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Tigers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Dylan Donahoe
| 02/14/25 @ Lake Weir | 3 |
| 03/01/24 vs Santa Fe | 2 |
| 02/28/24 vs Hernando | 2 |
| 04/30/24 vs North Marion | 1 |
| 04/12/24 vs Vanguard | 1 |
Dylan Donahoe was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Gavin Whitehead, who went a perfect3-for-3 with three runs and one triple.
Meanwhile, Vanguard put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They never let Interlachen onto the board and left with a 10-0 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Knights have posted since April 23, 2024.
Bobby Blanco was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and only a hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Blanco was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Clayton ?CT? Antonucci, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run. Gavin Aiton was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases.
Vanguard pushed their record up to 3-0 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Dunnellon, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Dunnellon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Vanguard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Dunnellon took their win against Vanguard when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 14-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Dunnellon since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
