The Fairless Falcons will square off against the Tuslaw Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Fairless is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
On Wednesday, Fairless needed a bit of extra time to put away Manchester. They skirted past the Panthers 3-2. While the Falcons didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Logan Barkan spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mike Ritterbeck, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Deegan Meek also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
While Tuslaw didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Tuscarawas Central Catholic 20-0 on Saturday. That 20 run margin sets a new team best for the Mustangs this season.
Tuslaw got a massive performance out of Keenan Kinsey, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. Kinsey is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Landon Gannet, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Tuslaw was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tuscarawas Central Catholic only posted a batting average of .222.
Tuslaw has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Fairless, they pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Fairless has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tuslaw struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Fairless took their victory against Tuslaw in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 10-3 score. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
