Baseball Game Preview: East Bladen Eagles vs. Clinton Dark Horses

The East Bladen Eagles will head out on the road to face off against the Clinton Dark Horses at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

East Bladen's tournament run continued when they took on Wake Christian Academy on Monday. The Eagles walked away with a 7-4 win over the Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, Clinton entered their tilt with Harrells Christian Academy on Tuesday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. They put the hurt on the Crusaders with a sharp 14-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Dark Horses, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Jaxson Smith was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brennon Bell, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four runs and two stolen bases. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Cooper Sessoms, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.

Clinton's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for East Bladen, they now have a winning record of 10-9.

East Bladen might still be hurting after the 12-5 loss they got from Clinton when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.