The West Orange Warriors are on the road again on Friday to play The First Academy Royals at 4:00 p.m. The last four games West Orange has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
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.
West Orange got a great performance from Tate Maroth as he struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Sims McClusky relieved him and did a solid job, tossing an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Lucas Dufresne, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, a stolen base, and a double. Max Eidelman was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought matchup, but The First Academy had to settle for a 4-3 defeat against Foundation Academy on Thursday.
The First Academy also got a good showing from Ty Arafet, who pitched 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.
West Orange's victory bumped their record up to 10-2. As for The First Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 8-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. West Orange has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like The First Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.9 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
West Orange might still be hurting after the 9-1 defeat they got from The First Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2023. Can West Orange avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
