The Charlotte Fightin' Tarpons will face off against the IMG Academy Gold Ascenders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Charlotte's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so IMG Academy Gold's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Charlotte had taken Lemon Bay down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Thursday. The Fightin' Tarpons took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Manta Rays.
Charlotte saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dominic Giglio, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, IMG Academy Gold fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against North Port on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Bobcats by a score of 4-3.
Oliver Boutin headlined a balanced group of pitchers for IMG Academy Gold, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Boutin has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Dylan Galloway made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Charlotte's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-9. As for IMG Academy Gold, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Charlotte has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like IMG Academy Gold struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Charlotte beat IMG Academy Gold 6-2 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Do the Fightin' Tarpons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Ascenders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
