The Marion-Franklin Red Devils will head out to challenge the Walnut Ridge Scots at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Marion-Franklin has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Things were looking good for Marion-Franklin after they put the first run on the board on Thursday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Eastmoor Academy by a score of 7-6. The defeat continues a trend for the Red Devils in their meetings with the Warriors: they've now lost six in a row.
Marvin RJ Robinson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered seven earned runs on ten hits and racked up 13 Ks.
On the hitting side, Maxin Warner was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with four stolen bases and two runs. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game. Chris Tatum also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Walnut Ridge won against South on Wednesday with 13 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Scots put the hurt on West with a sharp 13-6 victory. The game was the first time the Scots have beaten the Cowboys on their field since April 13, 2018.
Owen Rice was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Eric Villareal was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Walnut Ridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The win made it two in a row for Walnut Ridge and bumps their season record up to 2-2. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Marion-Franklin, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.
Marion-Franklin beat Walnut Ridge 11-7 in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Red Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
