Countryside and Clearwater are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Countryside Cougars will head out to challenge the Clearwater Tornadoes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Countryside's pitching crew has only allowed three runs per game this season, so Clearwater's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Countryside is headed into the contest having just posted their biggest victory since April 18, 2024 on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 10-2 margin over Indian Rocks Christian. The win continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won three in a row.
Braeden Callahan
| 02/18/25 vs Indian Rocks Christian | 5 |
| 04/30/24 @ East Lake | 0 |
| 04/22/24 vs IMG Academy Navy | 3 |
| 04/18/24 @ Indian Rocks Christian | 1 |
| 04/04/24 vs Boca Ciega | 5 |
Braeden Callahan made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. What's more, he also posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Neubauer, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in runs. Another player making a difference was Sean Sobush, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Clearwater beat Tampa Prep 8-4 on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tornadoes.
Gerardo Reyes looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits.
On the hitting side, Jackson King was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Clearwater now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Countryside, their record now sits at 3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Countryside has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Clearwater struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Countryside's way against Clearwater in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Countryside made off with a 6-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Countryside since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
