Cloverdale has won seven straight games at home, while St. Helena has won seven straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Eagles will host the Saints at 4:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Cloverdale came out on top against Middletown on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run second inning. The Eagles took their matchup against the Mustangs 10-6. That's two games straight that the Eagles have won by exactly four runs.
Camryn Bird made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Ronni Hatcher was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Camryn Donahoo, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Cloverdale kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Middletown only managed five hits.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask St. Helena). They never let Clear Lake get on the board and left with an 18-0 win on Tuesday. The Saints might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
Tahlia Smith and Ada Blanton were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Smith struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Blanton pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. At the plate, Smith went 3-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base, while Blanton went 2-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
In other batting news, St. Helena got a massive performance out of Olive Filippini, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. Ellie Carmichael was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
St. Helena has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Cloverdale, their win bumped their record up to 14-1.
Both Cloverdale and St. Helena just can't seem to miss. The Eagles have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. However, it's not like St. Helena struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cloverdale suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to St. Helena in their previous meeting on April 2nd. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
