The Clermont Northeastern Rockets will head out on the road to face off against the Blanchester Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Clermont Northeastern has three straight victories, Blanchester has five straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Clermont Northeastern had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Bethel-Tate on Wednesday. The Rockets never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 6-0 win. Considering the Rockets have won three matches by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jenna Brown was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off 11 hits (and not a single walk). Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bella Wilson, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. Karlee Gamble also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Clermont Northeastern kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bethel-Tate only managed three hits.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Blanchester faced off against Bethel-Tate on Tuesday. The Wildcats lost 17-3 to the Tigers.
Blanchester saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bailie Bare, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI. Another was Jocelyn Lansing, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Clermont Northeastern's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Blanchester, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Blanchester's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Clermont Northeastern has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Blanchester, though, as they've been averaging only 2 strikeouts. Will Clermont Northeastern keep running through batters, or will the Wildcats buck the trend?
Clermont Northeastern took their victory against Blanchester in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
