The Inspiration Academy Red Lions are taking a road trip to challenge the IMG Academy Silver Ascenders at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Inspiration Academy Red lost a heartbreaker the last time they played MVP Baseball Academy, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Monday's contest. The Lions put the hurt on MVP Baseball Academy with a sharp 15-4 win on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won three games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Gene Huang spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Machado Hu
| 04/07/25 vs MVP Baseball Academy | 3 |
| 03/07/24 @ IMG Academy Blue | 2 |
| 04/04/25 @ Bradenton Christian | 1 |
| 03/17/25 @ Bradenton Christian | 1 |
| 03/14/25 vs Central Pointe Christian Academy | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Machado Hu, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Jack Arujio also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Inspiration Academy Red hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, IMG Academy Silver came tearing into Tuesday's contest with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Pirates a 10-0 shutout. The Ascenders' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three games.
IMG Academy Silver let Henry Britt and JP Piles run wild. Britt went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run, while Piles scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Jonathan Marzullo, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI.
IMG Academy Silver's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Inspiration Academy Red, their record now sits at 5-3.
Inspiration Academy Red couldn't quite get it done against IMG Academy Silver when the teams last played back in February of 2024 as they fell 7-4. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
