The Academy is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Wellington is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Academy Wildcats will take on the Wellington Eagles at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The pair are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
In what's become a running theme this season, The Academy gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Manual a 13-0 shutout.
Tony Fabian made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Fabian was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Dylan Akers, who went 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Zack Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run.
Meanwhile, Wellington scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They put the hurt on Estes Park with a sharp 14-4 victory. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Wellington with their most commanding win of the season.
Like The Academy, Wellington also got a great game from a two-way player: Carter Weedin. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Weedin was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, Wellington got a massive performance out of Tanner Gray, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Gray has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Nathan Blehm was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3.
The Academy has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 9-7 record this season. As for Wellington, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. The Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wellington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
The Academy beat Wellington 6-1 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Will The Academy repeat their success, or does Wellington have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
