The Richlands Wildcats will face off against the Clinton Dark Horses at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Wednesday, Richlands didn't have quite enough to beat Pamlico County and fell 9-7.
Hayden Turner was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, he tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Turner was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. That stolen base was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Marlon Machado was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Marcus Branthoover, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Clinton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They never let North Duplin get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Thursday. With that victory, the Dark Horses brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Like Richlands, Clinton also got a great game from a two-way player: Jaxson Smith. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Smith has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Brennon Bell was incredible, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in hits. Cooper Sessoms was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Clinton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Duplin only managed one hit.
Clinton's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8 runs. As for Richlands, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Richlands has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Clinton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Richlands suffered a grim 9-3 defeat to Clinton in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can Richlands avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
