Apopka (4-4) delivered on both sides of the ball as the Blue Darters defeated Mount Dora Christian Academy 8-1 on Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to four games. 

Senior pitcher Jez Hamrick worked six strong innings on the mound, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven. He outpitched the Bulldog hurler Alex Wise, who is committed to Auburn. 

Hamrick also drove in three runs at the plate, helping Apopka pull away late after the game was tied through four innings.  

Mount Dora (3-4) threatened early in the top of the first inning when its leadoff hitter singled and another runner reached on a walk. Hamrick settled in quickly, recording two strikeouts and inducing a groundout to escape without damage. 

Apopka loaded the bases in the bottom of the first after Aiden Rieli was hit by a pitch and Hamrick reached on an error, but the Blue Darters were unable to capitalize. They again left runners stranded in the second inning after drawing two walks. 

Hamrick continued to control the game in the third. After allowing a single, he struck out the next two batters, and junior catcher Collin Van Fleet threw out a runner attempting to steal second base to end the inning. 

Apopka broke through in the bottom of the third. Camron Pennock drew a walk and stole both second and third. Tyler Spaid followed with a sharp single up the middle to score Pennock and give the Blue Darters a 1-0 lead. Mount Dora changed pitchers later in the inning, and Apopka left two runners on base. 

The Bulldogs tied the game in the fourth. Two walks and a sacrifice bunt put runners in scoring position, and a line drive misplay in the infield allowed a run to score, tying the game at 1-1. 

Apopka responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame. Bryce Doss walked, and Nico Posluszny singled. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position before Hamrick lined a double down the third base line, driving in two runs to restore the lead at 3-1. 

Mount Dora threatened again in the fifth with two singles and a deep fly ball to the left-field fence, but Pennock made the catch and Hamrick fielded a tough grounder to strand the runners. 

The Blue Darters added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Spaid was hit by a pitch, J.D. Edge singled, and both runners moved into scoring position on steals. Rieli then drilled a double to right field, bringing home both runners to make it 5-1. 

Apopka blew it open in the sixth with three more runs. Ty Livingston reached on an error and stole second before Hamrick singled to center for his third RBI of the night. Pennock added a single, and Spaid reached on an error that scored pinch runner Jorge Santiago. Pennock scored on another hit-by-pitch from Rieli, pushing the lead to 8-1. 

Apopka’s Anthony Raymond came on in relief in the seventh and allowed Mount Dora to load the bases, but he induced two pop outs to end the threat and seal the victory. 

Hamrick finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Rieli went 1-for-2 with a double and three RBIs as Apopka continued its surge with its fourth straight win. 

The streaking Darters will look to keep the run going when they travel to face the West Orange Warriors at 7 p.m. tonight in their third straight day of baseball.