The Merkel Badgers will take on the Clyde Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Merkel blew Ballinger out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Monday Ballinger got their revenge. Merkel fell just short of Ballinger by a score of 3-1. The match marked the Badgers' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Merkel saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sirena Flores, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Teaghan Meyer also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, Clyde waltzed into their contest on Monday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They never let the Eagles get on the board and left with a 16-0 win. Considering the Bulldogs have won 14 games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Faith Mills made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). Furthermore, she didn't allow a single earned run, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in February. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Sutton McClain was a standout: she scored two runs and stole Four bases. while going 3-for-3. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in stolen bases. The team also got some help courtesy of Chasity Davis, who scored three runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-2.
Clyde hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in eight consecutive matches.
Clyde pushed their record up to 15-3 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.9 runs on average over those games. As for Merkel, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Merkel hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like Clyde struggles in that department as they've averaged .458. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
