Falkner hasn't had much luck against Myrtle recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Falkner Eagles take on Myrtle Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Falkner's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Hickory Flat as Falkner made off with a 15-0 victory. The high-scoring effort was just what the Eagles needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Asa Childs was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Childs was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Gavin Wooley and Jackson Jordan did most of the damage at the plate: Wooley went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI, while Jordan went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Wooley also put up a triple, which was his first of the season. Myles Mitchell was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Falkner kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.4 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 9.
Meanwhile, Myrtle got the win against Ashland on Friday by a conclusive 13-0. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Like Falkner, Myrtle also got a great game from a two-way player: Keaton Butler. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Furthermore, Butler didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in February. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Eli Hollis was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Hunter Davis, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.
Falkner is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 14 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. Myrtle pushed their record up to 14-6 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Falkner has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .545. However, it's not like Myrtle struggles in that department as they've averaged .497. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Falkner was able to grind out a solid victory over Myrtle in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 16-13. Will Falkner repeat their success, or does Myrtle has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
