The Firelands Falcons will take on the Brookside Cardinals at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Firelands lost 14-6 to Black River on Friday. That's two games in a row now that the Falcons have lost by exactly eight runs.
Helen Bolyard and Addison Beal did some serious damage despite the final result: Bolyard went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Beal went 3-for-4 with two RBI. That double marked the first that Bolyard has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrynn Reichle, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, after some red-hot attacks at the plate in their last three contests, Brookside finally came back down to earth on Friday. They came up short against Columbia, falling 11-1. The Cardinals' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Markie-Ann Aliff spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and nine unearned) runs on ten hits.
At the plate, Brookside saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Trinity Arend, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
Firelands has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-10 record this season. As for Brookside, their loss dropped their record down to 6-15.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Firelands has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Brookside struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Firelands beat Brookside 20-17 when the teams last played back in April. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
