The Darlington Falcons will head out to take on the West Florence Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Darlington had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 16-run drubbing they dealt Crestwood on Friday. The Falcons were the clear victors by a 20-4 margin over the Knights. The victory was nothing new for the Falcons as they're now sitting on five straight.
Carly Gainey was a standout: she scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Zaria Mack also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Gainey wasn't the only one making solid contact: Darlington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's a new trend for the Falcons: they were averaging 5.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 8.8.
Meanwhile, West Florence's rock-solid pitchers showed up for the team's fourth consecutive shutout on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Ridge View a 14-0 shutout.
Jayde Perugini was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in both of her plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Charisma Williams was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Zoey Marshall, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-1.
Darlington pushed their record up to 11-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for West Florence, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Darlington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like West Florence struggles in that department as they've averaged .443. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Darlington suffered a grim 14-3 defeat to West Florence in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
