Myrtle has gone 7-1 against Falkner recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Myrtle Hawks duke it out with Falkner Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Myrtle's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against Ashland as Myrtle made off with a 13-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Hawks in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won nine in a row.
Keaton Butler
| 03/28/25 vs Ashland | 8 |
| 02/21/25 vs New Site | 1 |
| 02/10/25 vs Vardaman | 1 |
| 04/25/24 @ Hickory Flat | 1 |
| 04/13/24 @ Hatley | 1 |
Keaton Butler made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Eli Hollis was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was BJ Treadaway, who scored a run and stole two bases.
Myrtle always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. They are a perfect 10-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Falkner hadn't beaten Hickory Flat on the road since April 18, 2017 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. Falkner blew past Hickory Flat 15-0. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 20, 2021, but that streak is no more.
Like Myrtle, Falkner also got a great game from a two-way player: Asa Childs. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Childs was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Gavin Wooley and Jackson Jordan did most of the damage at the plate: Wooley went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI, while Jordan went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Wooley also put up a triple, which was his first of the season. Myles Mitchell was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Myrtle pushed their record up to 14-6 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Falkner, their record is now 16-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Myrtle has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Falkner struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Myrtle couldn't quite get it done against Falkner when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 16-13. Can Myrtle avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
