vs
| 04/19/24 - Home | 4-3 W |
| 04/16/24 - Away | 2-10 L |
| 05/04/23 - Away | 1-3 L |
| 05/02/23 - Home | 2-6 L |
| 05/05/22 - Home | 3-0 W |
| 05/03/22 - Away | 7-1 W |
Cleveland and Willow Spring are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2022, but likely not for long. The Rams will welcome the Storm at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Cleveland has struggled recently with four defeats in a row, while Willow Spring will arrive with seven straight victories.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Cleveland's offense. They fell 5-0 to Clayton on Thursday.
Mason Rodgers was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Cleveland saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jack Dalton, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Meanwhile, while Willow Spring put up some runs last Thursday, the same can't be said for South Garner. The Storm were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Titans. The Storm might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by ten runs or more this season.
Luke Doreauk looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk).
On the hitting side, Jace Cargile and Ben Cannaday did most of the damage at the plate: Cargile scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Cannaday scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, Cannaday posted two doubles, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Tommy Collins was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base.
Willow Spring pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for Cleveland, their loss dropped their record down to 8-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cleveland has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Willow Spring struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cleveland came out on top in a nail-biter against Willow Spring in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 4-3. Do the Rams have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Storm turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
