The First Academy Royals will square off against the Lakeland Christian Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as The First Academy comes in on 12 and Lakeland Christian on three.
The First Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They walked away with a 5-2 win over John Carroll Catholic.
Tyler Arafet looked comfortable as he pitched 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Remo Indomenico
| 04/29/25 vs John Carroll Catholic | 1 |
| 04/28/25 vs John Carroll Catholic | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Melbourne Central Catholic | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Melbourne Central Catholic | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Remo Indomenico, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last four times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Roy Rodriguez, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Lakeland Christian earned an 8-4 victory over Santa Fe Catholic on Tuesday.
Lakeland Christian also got a great performance from Fin Donay as he pitched six innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits.
At the plate, Mookie Rodriguez was incredible, firing off two home runs and five RBI while going 3-for-4. What's more, he posted two runs, the most he's had since back in February.
The First Academy's win was their 13th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 26-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Lakeland Christian, their win bumped their record up to 23-8.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. The First Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. However, it's not like Lakeland Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .443. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
The First Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Lakeland Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 8-6. Will the Royals repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
