Canton is 0-10 against Cleveland Central since April of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Tigers will venture away from home to square off against the Wolves at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Canton sitting on three straight victories and Cleveland Central on six.
While Canton's win against Yazoo City wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tigers skirted past the Indians 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted since March 20, 2024.
Alonzo Reed was excellent, scoring a run and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Sadrevian Devine was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Central never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They blew past Gentry 11-0.
Anthony Stephens was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to triples, as he's now hit at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
In other batting news, Jasper Lewis was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Christian McKinney, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Cleveland Central pushed their record up to 8-12 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Canton, their record is now 10-4.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Canton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .351. However, it's not like Cleveland Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Canton couldn't quite get it done against Cleveland Central when the teams last played last Tuesday as they fell 7-3. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
