Baseball Game Preview: Volunteer Falcons vs. West Ridge Wolves

The Volunteer Falcons will head out on the road to challenge the West Ridge Wolves at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

As a matter of fact, Volunteer put up the most runs they have all season on Thursday. They never let Claiborne get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Falcons as it spelled an end to their seven-game losing streak.

Gavin Hickernell made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Volunteer is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-16 otherwise. Hickernell was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Luke Armstrong

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/17/25 vs Claiborne	3
03/07/25 @ Happy Valley	2
03/13/24 vs Union County	2
04/04/25 @ Grainger	1
04/01/25 vs Grainger	1

In other batting news, Volunteer let Luke Armstrong and Brycen Feagins run wild. Armstrong went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and one run, while Feagins went 2-for-3 with five stolen bases and two runs. Those three RBI gave Armstrong a new career-high. Anthony Blasini also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.

Volunteer always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

West Ridge came out on top against Chuckey-Doak on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run fifth inning. The Wolves blew past the Black Knights 10-0. The Wolves not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 28th (when they won 12-2).

West Ridge moved to 6-14 with that win, which also ended their four-game losing streak. As for Volunteer, their record now sits at 6-17.

Volunteer came up short against West Ridge when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 5-1. Can the Falcons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.