Baseball Game Preview: Riverview Sarasota Rams vs. Inspiration Academy Lions

The Riverview Sarasota Rams will take on the Inspiration Academy Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Last Tuesday, Riverview Sarasota didn't have quite enough to beat Island Coast and fell 6-5.

Alastair Simonson made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Andrew Rhymestine was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.

Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Inspiration Academy ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They had just enough and edged out IMG Academy Black 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Lions have posted since February 28th.

Inspiration Academy also got a great performance from Jackson Bradley as he struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Bradley has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Ty Harvey was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two doubles. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Evan Okuhara, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Inspiration Academy has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Riverview Sarasota, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost 11 of their last 13 games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-17 record this season.