Baseball Game Preview: Jefferson Area Falcons vs. Struthers Wildcats

The Jefferson Area Falcons are taking a road trip to square off against the Struthers Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Struthers took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Jefferson Area, who comes in off a win.

Jefferson Area was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Conneaut on Wednesday. The Falcons put the hurt on the Spartans with a sharp 17-0 win. Considering the Falcons' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.

Toby Dickson

Batters Struck Out (Career)

04/09/25 vs Conneaut	9
04/06/24 vs Grand Valley	7
05/13/24 vs West Geauga	6
05/06/24 @ Edgewood	4
03/29/24 @ Harding	3

Toby Dickson was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Michael Riffle, who scored three runs while going 3-for-3. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Luke Lambert, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

Jefferson Area always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, Struthers was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They lost 10-0 to Poland Seminary. The matchup marked the first time this season in which the Wildcats were not able to get on the board.

Jefferson Area's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Struthers, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.

Jefferson Area came out on top in a nail-biter against Struthers in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 4-2. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.