The Ponce De Leon Pirates will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Laurel Hill Hoboes at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Laurel Hill took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Ponce De Leon, who comes in off a win.
Ponce De Leon is coming home in high spirits after they had to open their season on the road against Vernon. Ponce De Leon came out on top against Vernon by a score of 12-8 on Monday.
Dalton Churchwell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
In other batting news, Ethan Bergeron and Mark Flynn did most of the damage at the plate: Bergeron scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances, while Flynn scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave Bergeron a new career-high. Ford Motley was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Laurel Hill fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against L.E.A.D. Academy last Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Lions by a score of 8-7. The Hoboes have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Like Ponce De Leon, Laurel Hill also got a great game from a two-way player: Cooper Degraaf. He didn't allow a single hit, allowed only an earned run while striking out nine over 4.1 innings pitched. Degraaf was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing four bases while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Caden Taylor was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Sean Smiley, who scored two runs and stole three bases.
Even though they lost, Laurel Hill kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as L.E.A.D. Academy onlymanaged three hits.
Ponce De Leon beat Laurel Hill 13-8 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Does Ponce De Leon have another victory up their sleeve, or will Laurel Hill turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
