The Volunteer Falcons are taking a road trip to challenge the Chuckey-Doak Black Knights at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Volunteer's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs every time they've taken the field this season.
While Volunteer didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-10), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Claiborne on Thursday. Fans of the Falcons have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Addyson Fisher made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bryleigh Salyer, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. She also put up a run, which was her first of the season. Zetta Smith was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Volunteer kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Chuckey-Doak came up short against West Greene last Friday, falling 20-7.
Hayleigh Seidl made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Saniah Atchison, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Volunteer's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average this season. As for Chuckey-Doak, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Chuckey-Doak's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Volunteer has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Chuckey-Doak, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2 strikeouts. Will Volunteer keep running through batters, or will Chuckey-Doak buck the trend?
Everything went Volunteer's way against Chuckey-Doak when the teams last played two weeks ago, as Volunteer made off with a 14-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Volunteer since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
