vs
| 05/06/24 - Away | 1-5 L |
| 04/05/24 - Home | 0-13 L |
| 04/17/19 - Away | 14-2 W |
| 04/15/19 - Home | 12-0 W |
| 04/18/18 - Away | 11-2 W |
| + 5 more games |
Clay is 8-2 against Eastern since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Panthers will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Clay's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over Green. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Panthers considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Laney Shepherd made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Shepherd was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Elin Shaw was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. Lynsey Loop was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Eastern). They blew past South Gallia 20-0 on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Rebels: they've now won four in a row.
Like Clay, Eastern also got a great game from a two-way player: Leah Rader. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Rader has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Eastern let Jaidyn McCleese and Libby Poorman run wild. McCleese scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances, while Poorman went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Those four RBI gave Poorman a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lydia Park, who scored a run and stole three bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Eastern always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .763. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Clay's victory bumped their record up to 2-3. As for Eastern, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Clay came up short against Eastern when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 5-1. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
