The McCluer Comets will take on the University City Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While McCluer didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-7), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley on Thursday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Xavier Hill made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Andre Bell
| 04/30/26 vs STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley | 2 |
| 04/22/26 vs McCluer North | 1 |
| 03/31/26 vs Riverview Gardens | 1 |
| 05/14/25 vs Hazelwood East | 1 |
| 04/24/25 @ McCluer North | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Andre Bell, who went 2-for-3 with six stolen bases and three runs. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Isreal Owens, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and one double.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but University City ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They beat Hazelwood Central by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 15-6. Considering the Lions have won ten contests by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
The victory made it two in a row for University City and bumps their season record up to 10-4. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for McCluer, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Everything went McCluer's way against University City in their previous matchup back in May of 2025, as McCluer made off with a 17-7 win. Will the Comets repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
