The Ellet Orangemen will face off against the Firestone Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Ellet is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Ellet's offense. They fell just short of Ravenna by a score of 2-0 on Thursday. That makes it the first time this season the Orangemen have let down their home crowd.
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.
Meanwhile, Firestone had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Black Tigers. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Falcons have posted since April 12th.
Haneef Abdul-Mujib was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, 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. Another player making a difference was Skyler Nespo, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Firestone pushed their record up to 10-6 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs 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. Ellet has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Firestone struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ellet might still be hurting after the 13-4 defeat they got from Firestone in their previous matchup last Monday. Will the Orangemen have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
