Raymond Central has gone a perfect 3-0 against Falls City recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Mustangs will head out on the road to challenge the Tigers at 1:00 p.m. Falls City took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Raymond Central, who comes in off a win.
Raymond Central is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Fairbury 16-1 on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Mustangs with their most commanding win of the season.
Hunter Sykes made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He is becoming a predictor of Raymond Central's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 3-9 when he doesn't). Sykes was also solid in the batter's box, earning two runs and two stolen bases.
Tucker Matulka
| 04/22/25 vs Fairbury | 7 |
| 03/27/25 vs Crete | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Guardian Angels Central Catholic/West Point Beemer | 1 |
| 03/24/25 vs Lincoln Lutheran | 1 |
| 04/20/24 vs Falls City | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tucker Matulka, who went 3-for-4 with seven stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those seven stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Owen Kreikemeier, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Raymond Central hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Falls City lost 8-2 to Nebraska City on Friday. The defeat continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Pioneers: they've now lost seven in a row.
Blakley Sells made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Raymond Central's win ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-10. As for Falls City, their loss dropped their record down to 3-12.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Raymond Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Falls City struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Raymond Central took their victory against Falls City in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 7-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
