Barron Collier hasn't had much luck against American Heritage recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Cougars will take on the Stallions at 6:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Barron Collier took a eight-run loss the last time they faced off against IMG Academy Gray, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over the Ascenders on Thursday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Cougars as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Andrew Maroney
| 04/10/25 vs IMG Academy Gray | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ IMG Academy Gray | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Loyola Academy | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs Riverview Sarasota | 0 |
| 03/12/25 vs IMG Academy Blue | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Andrew Maroney looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Blaine Shoemaker was incredible, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Mason Humphrey was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, American Heritage had already won four in a row and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Sharks. That's two games straight that the Stallions have won by just one run.
American Heritage also got a great performance from Brady Snow as he struck out six batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Evan Fernandez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Ryan Ashley also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
American Heritage lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Barron Collier pushed their record up to 17-6 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for American Heritage, their record now sits at 14-9.
American Heritage's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Barron Collier hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. It's a different story for American Heritage, though, as they've only averaged .250. Will they be able to contain Barron Collier's hitters?
Barron Collier couldn't quite get it done against American Heritage when the teams last played back in March of 2023 as they fell 3-0. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
