Baseball Game Preview: Clopton Hawks vs. North Callaway Thunderbirds

The Clopton Hawks will venture away from home to take on the North Callaway Thunderbirds at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Thursday, Clopton was able to grind out a solid victory over Montgomery County, taking the game 5-2.

Adam Matheny was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.

Matheny wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Mick Evans, who went 1-for-2 with two runs. Another was Peter Daskalakis, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

Meanwhile, North Callaway never let their opponents score on Thursday. They walked away with a 4-0 win over Elsberry.

Not much got past Carson Bassett, who gave up just two hits to keep Elsberry off the board.

Clopton is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for North Callaway, their win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-1.

Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Clopton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. However, it's not like North Callaway struggles in that department as they've averaged .491. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Clopton might still be hurting after the 18-0 loss they got from North Callaway in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Hawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.