The Firestone Falcons will venture away from home to square off against the Ellet Orangemen at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Firestone will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Firestone proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by eight) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Cuyahoga Falls 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Falcons have posted since April 12th.
Haneef Abdul-Mujib
| 05/08/25 vs Cuyahoga Falls | 8 |
| 04/24/25 @ McKinley | 3 |
| 04/23/25 @ Roosevelt | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Washington | 4 |
| 04/12/25 @ Chippewa | 4 |
| + 13 more games |
Haneef Abdul-Mujib was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off one hit. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Malcolm Bufford was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Brennen Hostler also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Ellet suffered their closest defeat since April 25, 2024 on Thursday. They fell just short of Ravenna by a score of 2-0. It was the first time this season that the Orangemen let down their fans at home.
Keaton McKeel spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on one hit and racked up 13 Ks.
Firestone's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Ellet, their loss dropped their record down to 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Firestone has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ellet struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Firestone took their victory against Ellet in their previous matchup last Monday by a conclusive 13-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Falcons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
