Baldwin is 0-5 against Mandarin since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Baldwin Indians will head out on the road to take on the Mandarin Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Baldwin will be strutting in after a victory while Mandarin will be coming in after a defeat.
Baldwin scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. Everything went their way against Keystone Heights as Baldwin made off with a 13-3 win. Baldwin's victory was all the more impressive since Keystone Heights was averaging only 3.83 runs allowed on the season.
Kaeson Johns looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk).
At the plate, Jesse Macik was incredible, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Gavin Scapatici, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought match, but Mandarin had to settle for a 5-4 loss against Stanton on Thursday.
Mandarin also got a good showing from Hunter Simpson, who tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned run off three hits.
On the hitting side, Mandarin saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Drew Harmon, who went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Baldwin's win bumped their record up to 11-7. As for Mandarin, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last nine matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-13 record this season.
Baldwin's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. Baldwin has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Mandarin, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Baldwin continue to outrun the ball?
Baldwin came up short against Mandarin in their previous matchup back in April of 2021, falling 3-0. Thankfully for Baldwin, Jordan Martin (who didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
