The Paint Valley Bearcats will head out on the road to square off against the Clay Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Paint Valley is coming into the match on a five-game losing streak.
Wednesday just wasn't the day for Paint Valley's offense. They came up short against Zane Trace on Wednesday, falling 11-0. The game marked the first time this year in which the Bearcats were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Clay, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand South Gallia a 13-0 shutout on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won seven contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Sarah Cassidy made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Clay let Madison Carver and Elin Shaw run wild. Carver went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI, while Shaw got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Shaw is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Chloe Crabtree also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Clay was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .750. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .323 or higher in five consecutive matchups.
Clay pushed their record up to 7-6 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.4 runs over those games. As for Paint Valley, they now have a losing record of 4-5.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Paint Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. However, it's not like Clay struggles in that department as they've averaged .349. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Paint Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Clay in their previous matchup back in May of 2019, winning 8-4. Will the Bearcats repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
