The Falkner Eagles are taking a road trip to challenge the Middleton Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Falkner's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last four matchups.
It was a Battle of the Birds when Falkner challenged Ingomar on Tuesday. The Eagles blew past the Falcons 17-5. That looming 17-5 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Eagles yet this season.
Nolan Ashley was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Colee Stroupe, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with six RBI, two stolen bases, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Tyson Alberson also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Falkner hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive games.
Middleton came out on top against Fayette Ware on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Tigers had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 10-9. The win continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won three in a row.
Middleton let Will Baker and Kamren Bumpus run wild. Baker went 2-for-5 with five RBI and one triple, while Bumpus got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Cornelius, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one run.
Falkner's record is now 6-2. As for Middleton, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.
Everything went Falkner's way against Middleton in their previous matchup on Monday, as Falkner made off with a 12-5 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
