The Jefferson Area Falcons will square off against the St. John Fighting Herald at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Jefferson Area comes in on six and St. John on three.
Jefferson Area proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by six) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Struthers, sneaking past 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Falcons have posted since April 14th.
The team relied heavily on Michael Riffle, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in May of 2024. Logan Saksa was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI.
Jefferson Area hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Struthers struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, St. John got the win against Pymatuning Valley on Thursday by a conclusive 12-2. The Fighting Herald might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by ten runs or more this season.
St. John also got a great performance from Carson Williams as he tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Williams has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Brady Cole was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Ezra Campbell, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Jefferson Area's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-7. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for St. John, their win bumped their record up to 15-4.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Jefferson Area hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. However, it's not like St. John struggles in that department as they've averaged .414. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Jefferson Area came up short against St. John in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 4-1. Will the Falcons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
