The Stanton Blue Devils will venture away from home to face off against the Duval Charter Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Stanton knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Duval Charter likes a good challenge.
Stanton will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Mandarin, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Blue Devils were the clear victors by a 14-7 margin over the Mustangs on Wednesday. Fans of the Blue Devils have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Gio Cruz was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed six innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Cruz was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other batting news, Yandi Torres was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That double was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooks Jarrett, who earned one RBI and two runs.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Duval Charter ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Old Plank Christian Academy 7-5. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Defenders: they've now won nine in a row.
Like Stanton, Duval Charter also got a great game from a two-way player: Alex Messer. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Messer was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Logan Zapata, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Duval Charter now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Stanton, their record is now 4-0.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Stanton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Duval Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Stanton's way against Duval Charter in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, as Stanton made off with a 10-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
