The Perquimans Pirates will head out to challenge the First Flight Nighthawks at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Perquimans will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, Perquimans narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Tarboro 6-4.
Perquimans saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nixon Winslow, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Another was Coley Drew, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, First Flight made easy work of Hertford County on Tuesday and carried off a 13-3 victory. The Nighthawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by nine runs or more this season.
Ben LaVier looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over four innings pitched. First Flight is 3-1 when LaVier allows one or fewer hits, but 3-4 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Dillon Francis was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of First Flight's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-5 when he doesn't). Fionn Reilly was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
First Flight always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hertford County only posted an OBP of .375.
Perquimans pushed their record up to 11-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.6 runs over those games. As for First Flight, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-5.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Perquimans hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like First Flight struggles in that department as they've averaged .428. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Perquimans couldn't quite get it done against First Flight in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 as they fell 13-9. Can the Pirates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
