The Winter Haven Blue Devils are taking a road trip to face off against the Lake Wales Highlanders at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games Winter Haven has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
If Winter Haven beats Lake Wales with five runs on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Blue Devils beat Inspiration Academy on Thursday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blue Devils have posted against the Lions since April 22, 2019.
The team relied heavily on Jody Wilson, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in February. Deric Morris was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
McKeel Academy hit Lake Wales with a 14-run seventh inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Highlanders came up short against the Wildcats, falling 16-5.
Conner Clark made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two doubles. Brysen Woods also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Winter Haven pushed their record up to 13-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of one runs across that stretch. As for Lake Wales, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-10.
Winter Haven came out on top in a nail-biter against Lake Wales in their previous meeting back in April of 2025, sneaking past 7-5. Do the Blue Devils have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Highlanders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
