The IMG Academy Royal Ascenders will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Riverview Sarasota Rams at 4:30 p.m. The pair have allowed few runs on average, (IMG Academy Royal: 3.9, Riverview Sarasota: 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Last Wednesday, IMG Academy Royal suffered a tough 9-3 defeat at the hands of Port Charlotte.
IMG Academy Royal saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Scott Yang, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, Riverview Sarasota made sure to put some runs up on the board against South Fort Myers on Thursday. Riverview Sarasota blew past South Fort Myers 10-3. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Riverview Sarasota has managed all season.
Caden Sladek looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Alastair Simonson was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Backman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
IMG Academy Royal's loss was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 8-13. As for Riverview Sarasota, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matches, which provided a massive bump to their 10-12 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. IMG Academy Royal has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Riverview Sarasota struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
IMG Academy Royal skirted past Riverview Sarasota 1-0 when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Will IMG Academy Royal repeat their success, or does Riverview Sarasota have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
