The Franklin County Seahawks will face off against the Rickards Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Franklin County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Franklin County came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Aucilla Christian, falling 10-3.
Nolan Alford was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Rickards won against Jefferson County on Monday with 14 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Wednesday. The Raiders put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 14-4 victory. The Raiders haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Antwan Hamm made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off two hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-5 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Kamanii Williams was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with five stolen bases and three runs. He is becoming a predictor of Rickards' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-17 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Jonathan Akins, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Rickards always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Franklin County's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-11. As for Rickards, their victory bumped their record up to 6-17.
Franklin County got the 'W' when the teams last played back in February against Rickards by a conclusive 18-5 score. Do the Seahawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Raiders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
