vs
| 04/20/24 - Home | 4-3 W |
| 04/18/24 - Home | 5-7 L |
| 04/20/23 - Away | 2-10 L |
| 05/10/22 - Home | 9-5 W |
| 04/21/22 - Home | 6-2 W |
| + 5 more games |
Clever and Strafford are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Blue Jays will be playing in front of their home fans against the Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Clever is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Buffalo just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 9-3 to the Bison.
Piper Steele was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, Strafford beat Forsyth 13-8 on Tuesday.
Sarah Canales was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Kaelyn Rhodes and Dalyce Scrivener did most of the damage at the plate: Rhodes scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3, while Scrivener went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. Scrivener is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Karsen Comstock was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Strafford was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .345 or higher in four consecutive games.
Strafford is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.2 runs over those games. As for Clever, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-4.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Clever hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .403. However, it's not like Strafford struggles in that department as they've averaged .355. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Clever skirted past Strafford 4-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Blue Jays repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
