The First Flight Nighthawks will face off against the Perquimans Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, First Flight got the win against Hertford County by a conclusive 13-3. The Nighthawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by nine runs or more this season.
Ben LaVier
| 04/01/25 vs Hertford County | 10 |
| 03/11/25 vs Northeastern | 6 |
| 03/08/25 vs Fredericksburg Christian | 5 |
| 03/04/25 vs D.H. Conley | 5 |
| 03/25/25 @ Camden County | 4 |
Ben LaVier looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over four innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Dillon Francis, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. First Flight is undefeated when Francis posts two or more runs, but 2-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Brody Stephens, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI.
First Flight always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hertford County only posted an OBP of .375.
Meanwhile, Perquimans had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Vikings, sneaking past 6-4.
Perquimans' win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Nixon Winslow, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Coley Drew was another, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases.
Perquimans' victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for First Flight, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. First Flight has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .572. However, it's not like Perquimans struggles in that department as they've averaged .484. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
First Flight beat Perquimans 13-9 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will the Nighthawks repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
