The IMG Academy Black Ascenders will face off against the Columbia Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. IMG Academy Black will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.
IMG Academy Black's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Warren East with a sharp 12-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Ascenders, who have now won 14 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Bennett Jacobs looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, IMG Academy Black got a massive performance out of Sebastian Wilson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two triples and three runs. Those two triples gave Wilson a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Quincy Kerr, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
IMG Academy Black always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .520. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Warren East only posted an OBP of .250.
Meanwhile, Columbia unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 5-2 to West Nassau.
Tison McCray put in work no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
McCray wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Bynton Edge, who scored a run and stole four bases while going 1-for-3.
IMG Academy Black's win bumped their record up to 18-4. As for Columbia, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-9.
Columbia's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: IMG Academy Black hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .408. It's a different story for Columbia, though, as they've only averaged .247. Will they be able to contain IMG Academy Black's hitters?
IMG Academy Black beat Columbia 11-8 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Do the Ascenders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
