vs
| 04/30/24 - Home | 4-2 W |
| 04/09/24 - Away | 10-4 W |
| 04/14/23 - Away | 3-12 L |
| 04/12/23 - Home | 5-10 L |
| 04/25/22 - Home | 3-1 W |
| + 5 more games |
Garner and Cleveland are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2016, but likely not for long. Garner will venture away from home to challenge Cleveland at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Garner sitting on four straight victories and Cleveland on five.
Garner's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Southeast Raleigh 15-0. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by eight runs or more this season.
Sam Hawkins and Joelle Sanders did most of the damage at the plate: Hawkins went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one double, while Sanders went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave Hawkins a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Alyssa Meyer, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Garner was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .692. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .321 or higher in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Cleveland made easy work of South Garner on Tuesday and carried off a 15-0 win. The Rams are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the sixth game they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Avery Morgan made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kendall Gaunt, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Rylee Meyer, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Cleveland pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Garner, their record is now 8-4.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Garner has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .537. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Garner came out on top in a nail-biter against Cleveland in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 4-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Garner since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
