The Foundation Academy Lions will face off against the Umatilla Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Tuesday, Foundation Academy got the win against Edgewater by a conclusive 10-2. The victory continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won four in a row.
The team relied heavily on Jose Taveras, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Evan Brothers, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Foundation Academy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Edgewater struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, Umatilla waltzed into their match on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They blew past Tavares 12-3. With that win, Umatilla brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Tate Bagwell was incredible, scoring three runs while going 3-for-3. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Gavin Touchton was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Foundation Academy's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Umatilla, their victory bumped their record up to 12-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Foundation Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Umatilla struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Foundation Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Umatilla when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. Do the Lions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
