The Bloomingdale Bulls will face off against the Durant Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Bloomingdale's pitching crew has only allowed 1.4 runs per game this season, so Durant's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Bloomingdale is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Bartow get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. The Bulls might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
Hayden Porter
| 04/15/25 vs Bartow | 11 |
| 03/11/25 @ Plant City | 10 |
| 04/30/24 @ Manatee | 10 |
| 03/18/24 vs Durant | 10 |
| 02/13/25 @ Alonso | 9 |
Bloomingdale got a great performance from Hayden Porter as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave Porter a new career-high.
At the plate, Bloomingdale let Payton Jennings and Alvin Cruz run wild. Jennings scored a run while going 2-for-2, while Cruz scored a run while going 1-for-1. John Ramos also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Durant earned an 8-4 win over Horizon on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cougars.
Dylan Hotz looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Brody Lissy was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Caleb Lambert, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Durant hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games.
Bloomingdale is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Durant, their record is now 15-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bloomingdale has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Durant struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bloomingdale took their win against Durant in their previous meeting back in February by a conclusive 9-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulls since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
