Baseball Recap: Van-Far Takes a Loss

Van-Far had lost 12 straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Wednesday they dropped down to 2-16 to make it 13. They came up short against the Clopton Hawks, falling 12-5. If the Indians were looking for revenge after losing 17-0 to the Hawks when the teams met back in May of 2025, then they'll just have to keep looking.

As for Clopton, their record now sits at 13-7. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won eight matchups by six runs or more so far this season.

For Clopton's part, Cam Lilley and John Grillo made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Lilley tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Grillo pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Lilley posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. At bat, Lilley went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run, while Grillo went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Grillo is becoming a predictor of Clopton's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-7 when he doesn't).

In other batting news, James Matheny was incredible, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Tucker Salmons, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.

Coming up, Van-Far will face off against Monroe City at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Clopton, they will square off against South Callaway at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.