Softball Recap: Clinton Comes Up Short

Clinton had lost eight straight on the road, but on Monday they dropped down to 7-16 to make it nine. They lost 16-1 to the Tri-Valley Vikings. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Maroons of the 12-7 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2025.

As for Tri-Valley, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.9 runs over those games.

For Tri-Valley's part, Ellie Dehner was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Those seven strikeouts gave Dehner a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.

In other batting news, Tri-Valley let Elle Fesler and Paige Fesler run wild. Elle got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, six RBI, and three runs, while Paige went 3-for-4 with one home run and five RBI. That's the most RBI Paige has posted since back in May of 2025. Another player making a difference was Kylie Walden, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Clinton will square off against Central A & M at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Maroons' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Raiders have averaged an impressive 7.1 runs per game this season. As for Tri-Valley, they will take on Paxton-Buckley-Loda at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Panthers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 10.25 runs per game on average), something the Vikings will no doubt try to take advantage of.