If South Bend Clay was feeling good off their 7-0 takedown of Triton last Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The South Bend Clay Colonials fell just short of the Elkhart Lions by a score of 7-6 on Friday. South Bend Clay was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Elkhart apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in April of 2023.
Jessica Cleveland was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over nine innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off four hits. Cleveland has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive pitching appearances. Cleveland was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run, six RBI, and a double.
In other batting news, Rachel Hunt made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Abby Demler, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Even though they lost, South Bend Clay kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
On Elkhart's side, Fionna Topolpski was excellent, scoring two runs while going 1-for-5.
South Bend Clay has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-11 record this season. As for Elkhart, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 8-6.
South Bend Clay will play host again on Saturday to welcome Argos, where first pitch is scheduled at 11:00 a.m. Argos has struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 8.08 runs per game on average), something South Bend Clay will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Elkhart, they will head out on the road to take on Northridge at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Elkhart is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
