The Gateway Eagles will take on the IMG Academy White Ascenders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Gateway is coming into the game hot, having won their last five games.
Last Friday, Gateway got the win against Lely by a conclusive 8-1. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matches by six runs or more this season.
Sean Collins looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over four innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in February.
Jacob Hardman
| 03/28/25 vs Lely | 2 |
| 03/05/25 vs Gateway Charter | 1 |
| 03/04/25 vs East Lee County | 1 |
| 02/14/25 @ Lely | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jacob Hardman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in triples (two). Jadon Torres was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for IMG Academy White, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over Prestonsburg on Monday.
Avriel Tostado tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. IMG Academy White is 2-1 when Tostado allowsone or fewer earned runs, but 5-10 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Owen Armstead was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Eli Bayer, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
IMG Academy White was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Prestonsburg only posted a batting average of .160.
IMG Academy White has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-11 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. Gateway's victory bumped their record up to 13-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Gateway has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like IMG Academy White struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
