The Standley Lake Gators will face off against the Kennedy Commanders at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Standley Lake is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Standley Lake was handed a eight-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Dakota Ridge, sneaking past 11-9. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Gators considering their two-run performance the match before.
Chris Blanco
| 05/03/25 @ Dakota Ridge | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Green Mountain | 1 |
| 03/11/25 @ Kent Denver | 1 |
Chris Blanco made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. Standley Lake is 2-1 when Blanco posts one or more home runs, but 7-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Henry Moore was excellent, going 3-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Marc Garcia, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs.
Standley Lake kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dakota Ridge only managed six hits.
Meanwhile, Kennedy unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against Manual, falling 15-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Commanders have suffered since May 6, 2024.
Kennedy saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Manny Rojas, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Another was Eric Valenzuela, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Kennedy's defeat dropped their record down to 9-9. As for Standley Lake, their victory bumped their record up to 9-10.
Kennedy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Standley Lake has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Kennedy, though, as they've been averaging 10.9 hits. Given Standley Lake's sizable advantage in that area, the Commanders will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
