The First Academy Royals will face off against the West Orange Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The pair have allowed few runs on average, (The First Academy: 3.2, West Orange: 1.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Thursday, it was a hard-fought contest, but The First Academy had to settle for a 4-3 defeat against Foundation Academy.
The First Academy got a good showing from Ty Arafet, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also didn't allow any walks).
On the hitting side, The First Academy saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Blake Fields, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, after a 10-9 finish the last time they played, West Orange and Dr. Phillips decided to play a little more cautiously this time around. West Orange skirted past Dr. Phillips 3-1. The win was nothing new for West Orange as they're now sitting on three straight.
Tate Maroth tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Sims McClusky picked up the save, tossing an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk).
At the plate, Lucas Dufresne was excellent, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, a stolen base, and a double. Another player making a difference was Max Eidelman, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
The First Academy's loss dropped their record down to 8-4. As for West Orange, their victory bumped their record up to 10-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. The First Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like West Orange struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
The First Academy took their win against West Orange when the teams last played back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 9-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for The First Academy since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
