East Wake Academy has won six straight games at home, while Falls Lake has won six straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Eagles will welcome the Firebirds at 6:30 p.m. East Wake Academy knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past five contests -- so hopefully Falls Lake likes a good challenge.
On Monday, East Wake Academy made easy work of NCSSM: Durham and carried off a 15-5 win. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 matches by ten runs or more this season.
Lane Collier
| 04/28/25 vs NCSSM: Durham | 3 |
| 04/23/25 @ Franklinton | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Franklin Academy | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ NCSSM: Durham | 2 |
| 04/22/24 vs Neuse Charter | 2 |
Lane Collier made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-3. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, James Duffield was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Dexter Benton was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
East Wake Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .391 or higher in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Falls Lake's offense. They fell just short of Franklin Academy by a score of 2-0 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Firebirds have suffered since February 28th.
Nick Denny spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on six hits.
At the plate, Falls Lake saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kameron Hill, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
East Wake Academy has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Falls Lake, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 9-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. East Wake Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Falls Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
East Wake Academy beat Falls Lake 3-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Firebirds turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
