The Darlington Falcons will challenge the Beaufort Eagles at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Darlington is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
Darlington heads in on the heels of a playoff contest on Thursday. They took a 10-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of Gray Collegiate Academy. The Falcons' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Keekee Bacote was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Easton Boaz also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Beaufort, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They blew past Bluffton 15-5 on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won eight matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Adalyn Johnson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 20 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Arianna Smith was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. Caylin Adkins was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Beaufort was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Beaufort has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Darlington, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-9.
Everything went Darlington's way against Beaufort in their previous matchup on Tuesday, as Darlington made off with a 14-1 win. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
