Baseball Game Preview: Blaine Bengals vs. Stillwater Ponies

The Blaine Bengals will challenge the Stillwater Ponies at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Blaine will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.

On Thursday, Blaine had just enough and edged out St. Francis 2-1.

Stillwater hadn't beaten Cretin-Derham Hall on the road since April 27, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Monday. The Ponies were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over the Raiders. Considering the Ponies have won nine matchups by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Dylan Bloom spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on AJ Levy, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Riley Runk was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.

Stillwater was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .455. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in seven consecutive games.

Stillwater is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Blaine, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-2.

Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Blaine hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .327. However, it's not like Stillwater struggles in that department as they've averaged .327. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.