Softball Recap: Cleveland's Win on Tuesday Extends Winning Streak to Four

Cleveland waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the St. Mary's Knights 8-2. The result was nothing new for the Clippers, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.

Delaney Thompson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaitlyn Flowers, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Taylor McCabe, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

Cleveland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.1 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 10.6.

Cleveland's victory bumped their record up to 14-4. As for St. Mary's, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-5.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Cleveland will square off against Minnesota Valley Lutheran at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The Chargers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 11.27 runs per game on average), something the Clippers will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for St. Mary's, they will take on Wabasso at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.