The East Columbus Gators will take on the East Wake Academy Eagles on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
East Columbus is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let North Duplin get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory.
Mack Freeman was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Nick Rye, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
East Columbus hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive matchups.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between East Wake Academy and River Mill, and East Wake Academy kept the tradition alive. The Eagles put the hurt on the Jaguars with a sharp 31-0 win on Tuesday. The Eagles' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Jackson Brown and Lane Collier made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Brown tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Collier pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. At bat, Brown got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs, while Collier went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, East Wake Academy got a massive performance out of Jordan Driver, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, seven RBI, and four runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Weston Dixon, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases.
East Wake Academy is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for East Columbus, their win bumped their record up to 14-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. East Columbus has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like East Wake Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
