The IMG Academy Black Ascenders will face off against the Northside Christian Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. IMG Academy Black is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
On Friday, everything went IMG Academy Black's way against Carrollwood Day as IMG Academy Black made off with a 9-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Ascenders, who have now won six contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Arnie Wu tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, IMG Academy Black let Juan Diaz and Frankie Thomas run wild. Diaz scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5, while Thomas went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Diaz also put up a home run, which was his first of the season. Charlie Messina was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
IMG Academy Black was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .472. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .375 or higher in seven consecutive games.
Northside Christian not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since May 11, 2024. They put the hurt on St. Petersburg Catholic with a sharp 8-1 win. The Mustangs haven't had any issues with the Barons recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Northside Christian also got a great performance from Donovan Fox as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Fox also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Northside Christian is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-5 otherwise.
At the plate, Luke Anderson was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Bobby Hearn, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
IMG Academy Black pushed their record up to 9-0 with the win, which was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Northside Christian, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Northside Christian'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 .430. It's a different story for Northside Christian, though, as they've only averaged .258. Will they be able to contain IMG Academy Black's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
