The Philip Simmons Iron Horses are taking a road trip to face off against the Academic Magnet Raptors at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Philip Simmons was handed a six-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They skirted past May River 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Iron Horses have posted since March 27, 2024.
Nolan Clifford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up ten Ks. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Philip Simmons saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Charlie Helms, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Academic Magnet's hitters rose to the challenge against a Hurricanes pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.6 runs allowed on Thursday. Academic Magnet blew past First Baptist School 10-2.
Heckman Tyler was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Tyler was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That stolen base was his first of the season.
In other pitching news, Harrison Anson looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on George Owen, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Academic Magnet is 2-1 when Owen posts two or more runs, but 1-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ivey Cole, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Philip Simmons has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. Academic Magnet's record now sits at 3-4.
Philip Simmons beat Academic Magnet 9-6 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will Philip Simmons repeat their success, or does Academic Magnet has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
