The Stanton Blue Devils will take on the Middleburg Broncos at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Stanton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Stanton made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Menendez, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Blue Devils were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Falcons on Wednesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Blue Devils.
Gio Cruz
| 04/09/25 @ Menendez | 5 |
| 03/18/25 @ Covenant School of Jacksonville | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Riverside | 2 |
| 02/27/25 vs ED White | 2 |
| 02/26/25 @ West Nassau | 2 |
Gio Cruz was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Stanton is undefeated when Cruz posts eight or more strikeouts, but 8-11 otherwise. Cruz was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 5-for-5. Those five hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Jose Figueroa was incredible, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. He has become a key player for Stanton: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 5-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jhai Mosley, who scored two runs while going 1-for-4.
Stanton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Middleburg can bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over Orange Park.
Like Stanton, Middleburg also got a great game from a two-way player: Dylan Taylor. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over seven innings pitched. Taylor was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Logan Alessi, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Johnny De Antonis, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Middleburg's win bumped their record up to 10-14. As for Stanton, the victory got them back to even at 11-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Stanton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Middleburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Stanton was able to grind out a solid win over Middleburg in their previous meeting back in April of 2021, winning 13-9. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Broncos have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
