Baseball Game Preview: Franklin Academy Patriots vs. Falls Lake Firebirds

Franklin Academy hasn't had much luck against Falls Lake recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Patriots will be playing at home against the Firebirds at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Franklin Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on NCSSM: Durham with a sharp 8-1 win on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Unicorns: they've now won seven in a row.

The team relied heavily on Jackson Denton, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Chase Liner, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Falls Lake narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Wake Prep Academy 3-2.

Falls Lake saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dalton Parker, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-1. Owen Joines also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.

The victory got Falls Lake back to even at 6-6. As for Franklin Academy, their win bumped their record up to 3-7.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Franklin Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Falls Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Franklin Academy couldn't quite get it done against Falls Lake in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-3. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.