The Ferguson Falcons are taking a road trip to challenge the American Patriots at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Ferguson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.8 runs per game this season.
Ferguson is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 13 runs back in March, they were much more limited against Palmetto back in March. They came up short against the Panthers, falling 8-1.
Ferguson saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Idalys Lopez, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
American hadn't beaten Hialeah Gardens on the road since March 11, 2019 but that history sure didn't bother them on Wednesday. The Patriots put the hurt on the Gladiators with a sharp 9-3 victory. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Mia Harrison made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5. Those two runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Ashley Ramon was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Those five stolen bases gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Yianelis Rivera, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
American is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Ferguson, they dropped their record down to 7-6 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ferguson has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like American struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ferguson couldn't quite finish off American when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 10-8. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
