The Central Woodstock Falcons are taking a road trip to square off against the Luray Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Central Woodstock is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Staunton just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Storm.
Blake Helsley made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Austin Hosaflook, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Luray earned an 8-5 victory over Page County on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won five in a row.
Braylon Brooks and Connor Hilliard made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Brooks tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Hilliard didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Brooks has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. At the plate, Brooks went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Hilliard went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Trey Guzy was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double. What's more, he posted three hits, the most he's had since back in March. Gavin Sparks also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Luray kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Page County only managed eight hits.
Luray's record is now 10-8. As for Central Woodstock, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Central Woodstock has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Luray struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Central Woodstock came out on top in a nail-biter against Luray when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 12-11. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Falcons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
