IMG Academy is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Northside Christian is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The IMG Academy Ascenders will take on the Northside Christian Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Tuesday, IMG Academy faced Jesuit in a battle between two of the state's top teams. IMG Academy never let Jesuit onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory. IMG Academy's pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three contests.
Noah Franco looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Josh Hanson, who went 2-for-2 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI. Josh Campbell was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Northside Christian scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They put the hurt on St. Petersburg Catholic with a sharp 12-1 win. With that victory, Northside Christian brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Nick Bertrand tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Merric Hunt was a standout: he scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Dominic Fernandez, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
IMG Academy is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 13 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 17-2 record this season. As for Northside Christian, their win bumped their record up to 14-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. IMG Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northside Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.3. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
IMG Academy skirted past Northside Christian 4-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Will IMG Academy repeat their success, or does Northside Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
