The Nation Ford Falcons will venture away from home to face off against the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Nation Ford's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Fort Mill's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Nation Ford will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run two weeks ago, then bounced right back against Clover on Tuesday. The Falcons put the hurt on the Blue Eagles with a sharp 12-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won ten matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Meanwhile, Fort Mill entered their tilt with Indian Land on Tuesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 10-9 W against the Warriors. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Yellow Jackets have posted since March 21st.
Haley Rogers spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and six unearned) runs on 12 hits.
On the hitting side, Emily Poteat and Mallory Moore did most of the damage at the plate: Poteat went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI, while Moore went 2-for-3 with two runs and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Elise Nordgren, who went 1-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Fort Mill kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in four consecutive contests.
Nation Ford has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Fort Mill, their record now sits at 7-9.
Everything went Nation Ford's way against Fort Mill when the teams last played on April 1st, as Nation Ford made off with a 9-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Falcons since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
