The First Academy has gone 9-1 against Trinity Catholic recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Royals will take on the Celtics at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with The First Academy sitting on seven straight wins and Trinity Catholic on three.
The First Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They blew past Space Coast 15-6. The result was nothing new for the Royals, who have now won 11 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Emerson Gunkel looked comfortable as she pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March.
Luna Taboas
| 05/06/26 vs Space Coast | 4 |
| 04/28/26 vs Cornerstone Charter Academy | 3 |
| 04/20/26 vs Lakeland Christian | 3 |
| 04/14/26 vs Hagerty | 3 |
| 03/10/26 @ Harmony | 3 |
On the hitting side, The First Academy got a massive performance out of Luna Taboas, who went 2-for-3 with two triples, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave Taboas a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Elissa Moore, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one double.
The First Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Space Coast only posted an OBP of .406.
Meanwhile, Trinity Catholic earned an 8-3 victory over Melbourne Central Catholic on Wednesday.
Caylee Barbe made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 19 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one home run.
In other batting news, Lourdes Ornelas was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Hailey Wilson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Trinity Catholic's win bumped their record up to 15-11. As for The First Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 21-3.
Trinity Catholic's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: The First Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. It's a different story for Trinity Catholic, though, as they've only averaged .345. Will they be able to contain The First Academy's hitters?
Everything went The First Academy's way against Trinity Catholic when the teams last played back in March, as The First Academy made off with an 8-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Royals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
