Falkner is 2-8 against Pine Grove since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Falkner Eagles are on the road again to play the Pine Grove Panthers at 2:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Falkner never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Jumpertown last Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 13-7 margin over the Cardinals.
Taylor Garner was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Garner was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with two runs, a triple, and a stolen base.
In other batting news, Falkner got a massive performance out of Shelbi Wilbanks, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Mallie Mitchell was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Pine Grove scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They never let Byers onto the board and left with a 21-0 win. With that victory, Pine Grove brought their scoring average up to 6.7 runs per game.
Like Falkner, Pine Grove also got a great game from a two-way player: Madison Foster. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Foster was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
In other batting news, Anaston Christian was incredible, going 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Jazzie Smithey, who went 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI.
The win got Falkner back to even at 4-4. As for Pine Grove, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-6.
Falkner's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's contest. Falkner has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Pine Grove, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 per game. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Falkner continue to outrun the ball?
Falkner suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to Pine Grove in their previous meeting on Tuesday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Pine Grove's Lizzie Meeks, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Now that Falkner knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
