Baseball Game Preview: West Henderson Falcons vs. Franklin Panthers

The West Henderson Falcons will head out to challenge the Franklin Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

Last Wednesday, West Henderson was able to grind out a solid win over Brevard, taking the game 11-8. The victory continues a trend for the Falcons in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won three in a row.

13 must be Franklin's lucky number: they beat Robbinsville with that score not once but twice on Wednesday. The Panthers beat the Black Knights by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 13-5. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by six runs or more this season.

Isaiah Deas made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single hit in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-1.

In other batting news, William Rauers was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and five RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Anderson Terrell, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.

Franklin always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Franklin is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for West Henderson, their record now sits at 9-6.

West Henderson came out on top in a nail-biter against Franklin in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 3-1. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.