The IMG Academy Royal Ascenders will venture away from home to challenge the Lake Wales Highlanders at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last five games IMG Academy Royal has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Last Friday, IMG Academy Royal had just enough and edged out McKeel Academy 3-2. That's two games straight that the Ascenders have won by just one run.
Griffin Boesen
| 03/07/25 vs McKeel Academy | 9 |
| 02/20/25 vs Inspiration Academy | 5 |
| 02/11/25 vs Southwest Florida Christian | 6 |
IMG Academy Royal got a great performance from Griffin Boesen as he struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). Boesen has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, IMG Academy Royal's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kanta Miyabe, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Jacques Gawlik also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Lake Wales made easy work of Lake Region on Friday and carried off a 12-5 victory. The win continues a trend for the Highlanders in their matchups with the Thunder: they've now won four in a row.
Melvin Bynes looked comfortable as he pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Lake Wales let Carter Franks and Carter Finnell run wild. Franks went 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI, while Finnell scored a run while going 1-for-3. What's more, Finnell posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in February. Levi Cutts was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
IMG Academy Royal pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Lake Wales, their record is now 7-4.
IMG Academy Royal came up short against Lake Wales in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 7-2. Can IMG Academy Royal avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
