The Green Hope Falcons are taking a road trip to take on the Apex Friendship Patriots at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
While Green Hope's win against Apex wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Falcons had just enough and edged out the Cougars 10-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Falcons have posted since March 4th.
Jackson Wall
| 04/28/25 vs Apex | 4 |
| 04/24/25 @ Cary | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Cary | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Panther Creek | 6 |
Jackson Wall looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Mason Dean and Ryu Fukuyama did most of the damage at the plate: Dean got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI, while Fukuyama got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Fukuyama has posted since back in March. Sam Weinraub also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Green Hope was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Apex Friendship waltzed into their matchup on Monday with eight straight wins... but they left with nine. Everything went their way against the Catamounts as they made off with a 10-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Caden Oxendine looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Connor Sousa, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Braden Bloom was another key player, earning two runs and two stolen bases.
Apex Friendship's victory was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-6. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Green Hope, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-12 record this season.
Green Hope couldn't quite finish off Apex Friendship when the teams last played back in March and fell 7-5. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
