The Monroe Cheesemakers will head out on the road to challenge the Clinton Cougars at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Monroe 2.8, Clinton 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Monroe is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight games on Thursday. They fell 8-5 to Whitewater.
Monroe saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jayde Hawkinson, who went 1-for-3 with two runs.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Clinton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Edgerton on Thursday as they made off with an 11-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won nine games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Andie Bell made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off eight hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season.
In other batting news, Clinton got a massive performance out of London Winch, who went 1-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI Winch has posted since back in April. Ari Heynen was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Clinton hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least three batters in three consecutive contests.
Clinton is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Monroe, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-7.
Both Monroe and Clinton just can't seem to miss. The Cheesemakers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. However, it's not like Clinton struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Monroe was able to grind out a solid win over Clinton when the teams last played back in May of 2025, winning 5-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cheesemakers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
