The Urban Blues will challenge the Making Waves Academy Marlins at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Urban had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 13-run drubbing they dealt Galileo on Tuesday. The Blues blew past the Lions 14-1. That looming 14-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Blues yet this season.
Conor Darling made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Urban is undefeated when Darling posts two or more runs, but 3-6 otherwise.
Benji Dawes
| 04/15/25 @ Galileo | 5 |
| 03/19/25 @ Crystal Springs Uplands | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Lick-Wilmerding | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Stuart Hall | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Drew | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Benji Dawes, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with five stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Zuri Fox, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Making Waves Academy had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Friday. Everything went their way against the Cougars as they made off with a 23-2 win. The Marlins' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Urban, Making Waves Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Oscar Villalobos. He struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Villalobos has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Making Waves Academy got a massive performance out of Emmanuel Alberto, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with five stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. Alberto is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last 11 games he's played. Juan Gomez was another key player, going a perfect 5-for-5 with four runs, four RBI, and one double.
Making Waves Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .579. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Urban's victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-6. As for Making Waves Academy, their win bumped their record up to 9-4-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Urban has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Making Waves Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 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.
