Vanguard is 6-0 against Interlachen since March of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Vanguard Knights will look to defend their home field against the Interlachen Rams at 6:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Vanguard has three straight wins, Interlachen has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While Vanguard's victory against Leesburg wasn't quite the blowout they won the last time the pair played, they still came away the winners. Vanguard sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Leesburg on Tuesday.
Luke Oxendine made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Oxendine was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordan Volker, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Robert "Bobby" Blanco, who went 1-for-1 with a stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Interlachen suffered a rough 13-1 defeat at the hands of St. Joseph Academy two weeks ago. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest runs Interlachen has scored all season.
Vanguard pushed their record up to 8-4 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs per game. As for Interlachen, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Vanguard has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Interlachen struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Vanguard beat Interlachen 11-7 in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Will Vanguard repeat their success, or does Interlachen have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
