The Oxon Hill Clippers will face off against the Great Mills Hornets on Monday. Oxon Hill is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 19.5 runs per game this season.
Oxon Hill's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Wednesday's struggle, when La Plata hitters got past them. The Clippers came up short against the Warriors on Wednesday, falling 17-0. The match marked the first time this season in which the Clippers were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Great Mills had no problem doing just that on Thursday. Everything went their way against St. Charles as they made off with a 14-1 victory. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Hornets as it put an end to their ten-game losing streak.
Kendall Cooper made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Cooper was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Megan Cromwell, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Ashlyn Thomas, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Great Mills always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They are 4-2 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Great Mills' victory bumped their record up to 6-15. As for Oxon Hill, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 13-1.
Great Mills' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Oxon Hill has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Great Mills, though, as they've been averaging 15 hits. Given Oxon Hill's sizable advantage in that area, the Hornets will need to find a way to close that gap.
Oxon Hill might still be hurting after the 23-15 defeat they got from Great Mills in their previous matchup back in May of 2016. Can the Clippers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
