Softball Game Preview: Clever Blue Jays vs. Fair Grove Eagles

It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Clever Blue Jays face off against Fair Grove Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Fair Grove will be up against a hot Clever team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. Clever blew past Marionville 13-7 on Monday.

Ava Mittag was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off 11 hits. Mittag was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-5.

In other batting news, Izabel Hudak was a standout: she went 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Piper Steele, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.

Clever hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Fair Grove got the win against El Dorado Springs on Monday by a conclusive 13-3. Winning may never get old, but the Eagles sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.

The team relied heavily on Hali Stokes, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Shayla Haddock, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.

Fair Grove's victory was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 11.6 runs this season. As for Clever, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.

Clever couldn't quite get it done against Fair Grove in their previous matchup last Saturday as they fell 7-4. Can Clever avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.