The East Wake Academy Eagles will square off against the Voyager Vikings on Friday. East Wake Academy is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last 13 games.
East Wake Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let River Mill onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory. East Wake Academy's pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last six games.
Jordan Driver and Tanner Robertson made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Driver pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Robertson pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Driver got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and an RBI, while Robertson went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Dylan Palmer was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Will Connolly, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Voyager scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past Southeast Halifax 18-1. Voyager might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won eight contests by six runs or more this season.
Like East Wake Academy, Voyager also got a great game from a two-way player: Aidan Daly. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Daly was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
In other pitching news, Adam Freiburger looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Voyager let Marshall Hambrick and Bryce Smith loose on the outfield. Hambrick went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, while Smith went 1-for-1 with a triple, two RBI, and a run. Jacobi Purvis was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
East Wake Academy's win was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-4. As for Voyager, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-9 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. East Wake Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Voyager struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.4. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
East Wake Academy came up short against Voyager in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, falling 3-0. Thankfully for East Wake Academy, Daniel Higdon (who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out eight over seven innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
