Baseball Recap: Taylor Comes Up Short

Taylor had lost seven straight at home dating back to last season, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 0-8 to make it eight. They fell 5-0 to the Clinton Central Bulldogs. The Titans were not able to make up for their loss to the Bulldogs from their previous meeting back in April of 2024.

As for Clinton Central, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games.

For Clinton Central's part, Dillon Heaton made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 19 over seven innings pitched. Those 19 strikeouts gave Heaton a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Clinton Central is undefeated when Heaton posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise.

Heaton wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brady Boone, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run. Boone is becoming a predictor of Clinton Central's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 2-4 when he doesn't). Another was Carson O'Brien, who earned one RBI, one run, and two stolen bases.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Taylor will face off against Tipton at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Clinton Central, they will venture away from home to challenge Sheridan at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.