The Clare Pioneers will challenge the Meridian Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Clare is coming into the game hot, having won their last nine games.
On Tuesday, Clare made easy work of Harrison and carried off a 12-2 win. The result was nothing new for the Pioneers, who have now won eight matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Porter Harsh
| 05/13/25 vs Harrison | 2 |
| 05/07/25 @ Beaverton | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Bullock Creek | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Farwell | 1 |
| 04/17/25 @ Shepherd | 1 |
Porter Harsh was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Matt Mast was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
Clare always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .536. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harrison only posted an OBP of .278.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, Meridian made sure to put some runs up on the board against St. Louis on Tuesday. The Mustangs blew past the Sharks 11-1. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Sharks: they've now won four in a row.
Brady Bowen made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He is becoming a predictor of Meridian's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 5-2 (and 2-8 when he doesn't). Bowen was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Eli Olmsted was incredible, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Drew Lafave, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Clare pushed their record up to 11-4-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Meridian, their win bumped their record up to 7-10.
Meridian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Clare hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. It's a different story for Meridian, though, as they've only averaged .211. Will they be able to contain Clare's hitters?
Clare beat Meridian 8-4 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Do the Pioneers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
