The Villages Charter Buffalo will head out on the road to challenge the IMG Academy Gold Ascenders at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The Villages Charter is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.6 runs per game this season.
The Villages Charter was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Leesburg on Thursday. Everything went The Villages Charter's way against Leesburg as The Villages Charter made off with a 20-3 win. The Buffalo haven't had any issues with the Yellow Jackets recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Cohen Smith looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
Torin Foley
| 03/20/25 @ Leesburg | 4 |
| 03/14/25 vs Seven Rivers Christian | 3 |
| 02/21/25 vs Lake Weir | 3 |
| 02/11/25 vs Tavares | 3 |
| 03/19/24 @ Umatilla | 3 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Torin Foley, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in runs. Logan Godwin was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-2.
The Villages Charter always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .657. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, IMG Academy Gold was a bit more limited in their game on Thursday. They fell just short of Out-of-Door Academy by a score of 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Ascenders have suffered since April 17, 2024.
IMG Academy Gold also got a good showing from Kevin Brinkworth, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Brinkworth is becoming a predictor of IMG Academy Gold's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 3-1 (and 4-5 when he doesn't).
At the plate, Bennett Burke was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and one double. That home run marked the first that he launched this season. Another player making a difference was Ryan Williams, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and one run.
The Villages Charter's record now sits at 11-3. As for IMG Academy Gold, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-6 record this season.
The Villages Charter's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's matchup. The Villages Charter has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for IMG Academy Gold, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will The Villages Charter continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
