Sarasota Christian is 9-1 against Gulf Coast H since February of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Blazers will look to defend their home field against the HEAT at 7:00 p.m. The timing is sure in Sarasota Christian's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Gulf Coast H has been banged up by ten consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.
Sarasota Christian will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Saint Stephen's Episcopal on Tuesday. The Blazers were the clear victors by a 14-3 margin over the Falcons. The Blazers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by six runs or more this season.
Randall Collins made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
Evan Poznanski
| 04/08/25 vs Saint Stephen's Episcopal | 5 |
| 04/29/24 @ Sarasota Military Academy | 4 |
| 03/19/24 @ Bayshore | 4 |
| 03/27/25 vs Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy | 3 |
| 03/04/25 vs Keswick Christian | 3 |
In other batting news, Evan Poznanski was a standout: he went a perfect 1-for-1 with five RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Hunter George was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Sarasota Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast H came into Monday's game having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They never let The Classical Academy of Sarasota get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Monday. The match marked the HEAT's most dominant victory of the season.
Like Sarasota Christian, Gulf Coast H also got a great game from a two-way player: Oliver Ekstrom. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over six innings pitched. Ekstrom also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Gulf Coast H is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-11 otherwise. Ekstrom was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Andrew Blunden, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. He has become a key player for Gulf Coast H: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 1-11 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kevin McNulty, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Sarasota Christian's win bumped their record up to 12-7. As for Gulf Coast H, their victory bumped their record up to 3-12.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sarasota Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Gulf Coast H struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sarasota Christian took their win against Gulf Coast H in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 18-2 score. Will the Blazers repeat their success, or do the HEAT have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
