Franklinton is 8-2 against Southern Nash since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Red Rams are taking a road trip to challenge the Firebirds at 6:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
Having struggled with eight defeats in a row, Franklinton turned things around against Rocky Mount last Friday. They put the hurt on the Gryphons with a sharp 7-1 victory. The Red Rams not only won last Friday, but they posted their biggest win since March 12th.
Diego Jimenez-Arellano
| 04/04/25 vs Rocky Mount | 4 |
| 03/27/25 vs Roanoke Rapids | 2 |
| 03/18/25 @ Rocky Mount | 0 |
| 03/04/25 @ Nash Central | 4 |
Diego Jimenez-Arellano was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over five innings pitched. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Franklinton's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 2-10 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Hudson Deutsch was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Conor Simpson, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Franklinton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rocky Mount only posted a batting average of .125.
Meanwhile, Southern Nash entered their tilt with Rocky Mount on Thursday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Gryphons 11-1. With that win, the Firebirds brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Caiden Peeler made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kwamaine Battle, who went 3-for-4 with six RBI, one stolen base, and one double. He has been hot recently, having posted three or more hits the last three times he's played. Luke Faulkner was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
The victory got Southern Nash back to even at 9-9. As for Franklinton, their win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-9 and their overall record up to 5-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Franklinton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Southern Nash struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
