Softball Game Preview: St. Pauls Bulldogs vs. Clinton Dark Horses

The St. Pauls Bulldogs will head out on the road to square off against the Clinton Dark Horses at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. St. Pauls is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.

St. Pauls is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Fairmont on Thursday. They lost 9-2 to the Golden Tornadoes. The Bulldogs' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

St. Pauls saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hailey Ray, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base.

Meanwhile, Clinton came up short against Hobbton on Monday, falling 12-5.

Da'Niyah Coxum was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. Gracin Bass also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

St. Pauls' loss dropped their record down to 6-8. As for Clinton, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost six of their last seven games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-10 record this season.

Clinton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: St. Pauls has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Clinton, though, as they've been averaging 9.9 hits. Given St. Pauls' sizable advantage in that area, the Dark Horses will need to find a way to close that gap.

St. Pauls took their victory against Clinton in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 15-5 score. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Dark Horses turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.