The Franklin Panthers will head out to take on the Hayesville Yellowjackets at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Franklin is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
Franklin gave up the first runs last Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 7-2 win over West Henderson.
Franklin got a great performance from Caden Mason as he pitched six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, Addix Sutton was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Gunner McConnell, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Franklin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are 6-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, while Hayesville put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Cherokee. The Yellowjackets put the hurt on the Braves with a sharp 12-0 victory. The Yellowjackets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by seven runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Kyle Shaheen, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Hayesville is undefeated when Shaheen posts two or more runs, but 5-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ben Bethel, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
Hayesville pushed their record up to 9-6 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Franklin, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Franklin has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hayesville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Franklin's way against Hayesville in their previous matchup on April 2nd, as Franklin made off with an 11-5 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
