Franklin Academy hasn't had much luck against Falls Lake recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Patriots will head out to square off against the Firebirds at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with nine losses in a row, Franklin Academy turned things around against Cary Academy on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Chargers. The Patriots not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 19th (when they won 15-4).
Hannah Pegram spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
On the hitting side, Franklin Academy let Caitlyn Chapman and Nicole Melvin run wild. Chapman got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI, while Melvin got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. That's the most runs Melvin has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Paige Shriver, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Franklin Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .634. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Falls Lake beat American Leadership Academy-Johnston 9-5 on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Firebirds.
Wynterlee Glenn was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jolie Sensenig, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Leah Horton, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles.
Franklin Academy's record is now 3-11. As for Falls Lake, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
Franklin Academy might still be hurting after the 14-3 defeat they got from Falls Lake in their previous meeting on April 8th. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
