The Franklin Knights will venture away from home to square off against the Hickory Hornets at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Franklin's hitters haven't had much luck over their past three matchups, but Wednesday's contest will give them a chance to turn things around.
Franklin took an 11-run defeat the last time they faced off against Sharon, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Knights never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 1-0 win on Thursday. The game was the first time the Knights have beaten the Tigers on their field since May 24, 2021.
Not much got past Nate Fezell, who gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks to keep Sharon off the board.
On the hitting side, Franklin secured the victory behind a pair of hitters. One of them was Nolan Parry, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Hickory gave up the first runs on Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They put the hurt on Oil City with a sharp 9-2 win. The Hornets haven't had any issues with the Oilers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Ayden Messer looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Hickory's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 4-9 when he doesn't).
At the plate, Hickory let Michael Ristvey and Dante Evans run wild. Ristvey went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI, while Evans went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Luke Lewis also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Franklin's record now sits at 9-7. As for Hickory, their record is now 6-10.
Franklin came up short against Hickory when the teams last played back in April, falling 12-7. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
