The Marathon Dolphins will face off against the Fort Meade Miners at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Marathon is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Moore Haven an 11-0 shutout. The Dolphins might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by seven runs or more this season.
Jack Chapman made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jason Stubblefield Jr., who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2025. Bradley Buigas was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
Marathon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Fort Meade beat Frostproof 10-5 on Wednesday. The Miners haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Owen Harrell and Ty Montsdeoca did most of the damage at the plate: Harrell got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, while Montsdeoca went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles. Harrell is becoming a predictor of Fort Meade's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 7-10 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Harrison Stala, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Marathon's victory bumped their record up to 17-8-1. As for Fort Meade, their win bumped their record up to 10-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Marathon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fort Meade struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Marathon got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in February against Fort Meade by a conclusive 8-1 score. Do the Dolphins have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Miners turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
