The Voyager Vikings will face off against the East Wake Academy Eagles on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Voyager is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They blew past Southeast Halifax 18-1. Voyager's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Aidan Daly made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Daly was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
In other pitching news, Adam Freiburger looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, Marshall Hambrick and Bryce Smith did most of the damage at the plate: Hambrick went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, while Smith went 1-for-1 with a triple, two RBI, and a run. Another player making a difference was Jacobi Purvis, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Meanwhile, East Wake Academy had already won 12 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.8 runs), and they went ahead and made it 13 on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Jaguars a 10-0 shutout. East Wake Academy's pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last six games.
Like Voyager, East Wake Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Jordan Driver. On the mound, Driver tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Tanner Robertson tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Driver got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and an RBI, while Robertson went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Dylan Palmer was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Will Connolly, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases.
Voyager pushed their record up to 13-9 with that victory, which was their eighth straight at home. As for East Wake Academy, their win bumped their record up to 14-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Voyager has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like East Wake Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Voyager beat East Wake Academy 3-0 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Voyager 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
