The Clewiston Tigers are taking a road trip to challenge the Avon Park Red Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Clewiston 2.1, Avon Park 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Clewiston will bounce into Friday's game after beating Lake Placid, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Tigers skirted past the Dragons 6-5. Winning may never get old, but the Tigers sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Jackson Mann
| 04/03/25 vs Lake Placid | 11 |
| 03/24/25 vs LaBelle | 12 |
| 03/18/25 vs Avon Park | 13 |
| 03/07/25 @ Hardee | 9 |
| 02/26/25 vs Sebring | 10 |
Jackson Mann was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Mann wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Graysen Redish, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. Cameron Rhodes was another, going 1-for-3 with three RBI.
Clewiston hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Avon Park, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Frostproof 3-2 on Thursday. The win continues a trend for the Red Devils in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won five in a row.
Like Clewiston, Avon Park also got a great game from a two-way player: Eric Harrison. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. That's the most strikeouts Harrison has posted since back in February. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double.
Avon Park's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-6. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Clewiston, their record is now 13-4.
Clewiston's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. The Tigers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Avon Park, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Clewiston continue to outrun the ball?
Clewiston was able to grind out a solid victory over Avon Park in their previous meeting back in March, winning 4-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
