Clinton extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to nine on Friday, dropping them down to 0-3. They came up short against the West Bladen Knights, falling 23-0. The Dark Horses lost against the Knights in their previous head to head back in April of 2025, too, but the margin this time around was even wider than the 6-5 score last time.
West Bladen's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-3. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for their hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
For West Bladen's part, Allison Hickman made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Hickman has posted since back in April of 2025. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. She also got two hits, marking her first of the season.
In other batting news, West Bladen got a massive performance out of Natalee Sykes, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Sykes a new career-high. Karlee Gause was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
Looking ahead, Clinton will venture away from home to challenge East Bladen at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for West Bladen, they will host Pender at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
