The Montverde Academy Eagles will square off against the Cornerstone Charter Academy Ducks at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Montverde Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They never let The First Academy get on the board and left with a 14-0 victory. The win was familiar territory for the Eagles, who have now won ten games in a row.
Luna Taboas was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Addison Poe, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Montverde Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as The First Academy only managed four hits.
Newberry typically has all the answers at home, but on Wednesday Cornerstone Charter Academy proved too difficult a challenge. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 11-2 victory. Cornerstone Charter Academy's win was all the more impressive since the Panthers were averaging only 3.92 runs allowed on the season.
Bekah Mitchell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kenzie Boisvert and Jaelyn Phillips did most of the damage at the plate: Boisvert went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double, while Phillips went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That double was Phillips' first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Nogueras, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Montverde Academy's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 26-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Cornerstone Charter Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-9 record this season.
Cornerstone Charter Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Montverde Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Cornerstone Charter Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 4.2 strikeouts. Will Montverde Academy keep running through batters, or will the Ducks buck the trend?
Montverde Academy took their victory against Cornerstone Charter Academy when the teams last played last Thursday by a conclusive 15-4 score. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Ducks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
