Clifton Central extended their losing streak to three on Thursday, dropping them down to 4-15. They took a 13-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 25, 2024, but that streak is no more.
Clifton Central saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emily Ponton, who went 3-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Rayven Perkins also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
As for Gardner-South Wilmington, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 16-8. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games.
On Gardner-South Wilmington's side, Maddie Simms was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Simms has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Gardner-South Wilmington let Bree Stein and Ella Mack run wild. Stein went 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Mack went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That's the most stolen bases Mack has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Tousignant, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Coming up, Clifton Central will face off against Illinois Lutheran at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The Chargers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 14.36 runs per game on average), something the Comets will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Gardner-South Wilmington, they will challenge Herscher at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
