Baseball Game Preview: McClave Cardinals vs. Eads Eagles

The McClave Cardinals will head out to square off against the Eads Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Seven must be McClave's lucky number: they beat Stratton with that score not once but twice on Saturday. The Cardinals had just enough and edged out the Eagles 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cardinals have posted since March 25th.

Drew Howe was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Taylor LeForce, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

McClave was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .389 or higher in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Eads put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They skirted past Granada 4-2.

The team relied heavily on Shaine Winder, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Spencer Uhland, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI.

Eads pushed their record up to 13-0 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for McClave, their record now sits at 10-5.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. McClave has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Eads struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

McClave was able to grind out a solid victory over Eads when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 15-11. Do the Cardinals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.