The Apopka Blue Darters will head out on the road to face off against the St. Cloud Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Apopka is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Apopka came up short against Horizon and fell 8-5.
Apopka saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Wyatt Jaggers, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. Ty Livingston was another, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, while St. Cloud put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Poinciana. The Bulldogs put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won 11 matches by nine runs or more so far this season.
Jack Ewalt looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Sebastian Echeverry was excellent, going 2-for-4 with four RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024.
St. Cloud always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .541. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Poinciana only posted an OBP of .240.
St. Cloud has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Apopka, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Apopka has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Cloud struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Apopka beat St. Cloud 6-3 when the teams last played back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Darters since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
