The Isle of Wight Academy Chargers will head out to face off against the Southampton Academy Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
On Friday, Isle of Wight Academy came up short against Brunswick Academy and fell 7-4.
Wyatt King made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. He also put up two RBI, which were his first of the season.
Meanwhile, while it was Southampton Academy who put the first runs on the board on Wednesday, it was Amelia Academy who put up more. The Raiders fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 5-4. The Raiders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Ethan Webb put in work no matter where he played. He pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. What's more, he gave up only zero walks, the fewest he's had since back in March. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last six games he's played.
Webb wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Landon Cushing, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Another was Grant Applewhite, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Southampton Academy's defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 6-1 and their overall record down to 8-3. As for Isle of Wight Academy, their record now sits at 3-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Isle of Wight Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Southampton Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Isle of Wight Academy took their victory against Southampton Academy when the teams last played back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 16-0 score. Will the Chargers repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
