The Maclay Marauders are taking a road trip to challenge the St. Johns Country Day Spartans at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Maclay made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Wakulla, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Maclay was the clear victors by a 13-7 margin over Wakulla on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Marauders have posted against the War Eagles since April 13, 2021.
Beau Beshears made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Tucker Poppell
| 02/27/25 @ Wakulla | 4 |
| 02/11/25 @ Altha | 3 |
| 04/22/24 vs Bethlehem | 3 |
| 04/24/24 vs Brookwood | 2 |
| 04/05/24 @ Gadsden County | 2 |
In other batting news, Maclay got a massive performance out of Tucker Poppell, who scored four runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. The dominant performance gave Poppell a new career-high in runs. Another player making a difference was Landon Barineau, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Maclay was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .419. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wakulla only posted a batting average of .174.
Meanwhile, St. Johns Country Day came tearing into Friday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. That ten run margin sets a new team best for the Spartans this season.
Not much got past Brayden Harris, who gave up just a hit and racked up ten Ks to keep DeLand off the board. Harris has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Preston Cole, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. He also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season. TJ Sunderhaus was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
St. Johns Country Day's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8.7 runs. As for Maclay, their record now sits at 5-1.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maclay has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. However, it's not like St. Johns Country Day struggles in that department as they've averaged .457. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maclay came up short against St. Johns Country Day in their previous meeting back in May of 2019, falling 4-0. Can Maclay avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
