The Staley Falcons will venture away from home to face off against the Liberty North Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Staley 3.4, Liberty North 2.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Liberty North will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Staley extended their winning streak to three on Monday. The Falcons skirted past Blue Springs 3-1.
Jake Thomas tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over 6.2 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Staley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Evan Abbott, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Liberty North). They blew past Lee's Summit West 14-8 on Monday. The game was the first time the Eagles have beaten the Titans on their field since March 25, 2022.
Brett Swanson made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Swanson was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season.
In other pitching news, Chase Grady looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Landon Wells, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was William Bologna, who earned one RBI and two runs.
Liberty North's victory was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.9 runs over those games. As for Staley, their record is now 15-1.
Staley's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's contest. The Falcons have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Liberty North, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Staley continue to outrun the ball?
Staley skirted past Liberty North 2-0 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
