The Vanguard Knights will head out to take on the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Vanguard took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. Everything went their way against Crystal River as Vanguard made off with a 16-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won three in a row.
Brendan McLaughlin made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Bobby Blanco was excellent, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jacob ?Jake? Wells, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Vanguard always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, P.K. Yonge had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They never let the Crusaders get on the board and left with a 22-0 win. That 22 run margin sets a new team best for the Blue Wave this season.
Like Vanguard, P.K. Yonge also got a great game from a two-way player: Nico Wheeler. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Wheeler was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Preston Splitt, who scored three runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Matt Knott also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Vanguard's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for P.K. Yonge, their record is now 7-3.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Vanguard has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .495. However, it's not like P.K. Yonge struggles in that department as they've averaged .510. 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.
