By Marshall Tempest
Reporter
The Wekiva High School baseball team has just four more games in the regular season after this week’s matchups against Mount Dora and Davenport.
Wekiva is 6-13 this season, 2-0 in district matchups, after going 4-5 in March—a significant improvement from the Mustangs’ February campaign when they finished 2-8. As of Tuesday, April 1, the Mustangs have scored 119 runs and allowed 209, for a negative scoring differential of 90 runs.
Wekiva vs. Apopka (16-1) Loss
The Mustangs were not prepared for the Blue Darters last week when they traveled to J. Barnes Field. The Wekiva batters, at times, showed great patience at the plate, earning six walks but also striking out eight times. Wekiva couldn’t get anything going for themselves and tallied just two hits in four innings and left 11 runners on base.
Wekiva’s two hits came from Caden Lopez and Jaden Graham, with Graham sending in the lone Wekiva run. Graham sent in the Mustangs’ only run on a line drive double to left field.
Defense a pitching played a big part in Wekiva’s loss. The Mustangs made three errors, and pitchers Graham, Sean John and Austin Schwartz gave up seven hits, 16 runs (12 earned), 12 walks, and hit five batters with pitches while collecting just three strikeouts.
Graham started for the Mustangs and gave up seven runs (five earned) on four hits and three walks in two innings of work.
Schwartz followed Graham on the mound and allowed eight runs (six earned) while pitching 1 and 1/3 innings. He allowed two hits and walked four while striking out one batter.
John finished the game on the mound for the Mustangs, facing just three batters. He gave up one run on one hit before the game was called due to the mercy rule.
Wekiva vs. Mount Dora (Postponed)
On Tuesday, the Wekiva Mustangs rematch against the Mount Dora Hurricanes was postponed due to lightning near the field. Before the game was delayed, though, Wekiva was in good standing against a Hurricanes team that beat them 11-0 in late March.
Wekiva kept the Hurricanes from scoring a run in the first inning and then grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the frame. It was Graham who once again brought in the first run for Wekiva when he lined a double to center field. The second run came in from Graham, who stole home while another Wekiva runner was tagged out trying to steal second.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the Hurricanes came right back and answered with four runs in the top of the second. Even worse, Wekiva could not put up anything in the bottom of the second as the Mount Dora pitcher retired the Mustang side in order.
In the third inning, Graham came in to replace Wekiva’s starting pitcher, Caden Lopez. With his second pitch on the mound, Graham hit a Mount Dora batter right in the helmet, sending him to first base. Right after that at-bat, the Wekiva athletic department staff advised that they were under a lightning warning and the game would be delayed until it cleared. The lightning did not clear, so the game was postponed to another date with Mount Dora leading 4-2.
