The Edwards County Lions will face off against North Clay/Clay City at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
North Clay/Clay City will be up against a hot Edwards County squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Edwards County never let Wayne City get on the board and left with a 13-0 win on Friday.
Jax Duncan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in March of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Rocky Bell and Drew Lankford did most of the damage at the plate: Bell scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Lankford scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave Lankford a new career-high.
Edwards County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wayne City only posted an OBP of .364.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Clay/Clay City, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Brownstown/St. Elmo on Wednesday. North Clay/Clay City hasn't had any issues with Brownstown/St. Elmo recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Like Edwards County, North Clay/Clay City also got a great game from a two-way player: Cayden Craig. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Craig has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, North Clay/Clay City got a massive performance out of Jack Compton, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Compton also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Cody Zimdars was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2.
Edwards County's win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for North Clay/Clay City, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Edwards County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .380. However, it's not like North Clay/Clay City struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Edwards County took their victory against North Clay/Clay City when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 6-0. Will Edwards County repeat their success, or does North Clay/Clay City has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
