Clayton is a perfect 10-0 against Southeast Raleigh since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Clayton Comets will square off against the Southeast Raleigh Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Clayton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Clayton took a nine-run defeat the last time they faced off against Garner, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Clayton won by a run and slipped past Garner 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Comets have posted since April 30, 2024.
Izzy Tart
| 03/18/25 vs Garner | 11 |
| 03/11/25 @ Willow Spring | 7 |
| 03/10/25 @ Heritage | 11 |
| 03/03/25 @ Rolesville | 12 |
| 02/27/25 vs East Wake | 14 |
| 02/25/25 vs Rolesville | 7 |
Izzy Tart spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Autumn Joyce was incredible, firing off two home runs while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
Joyce wasn't the only one working in the home run department: Clayton lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 26 runs the game before, Southeast Raleigh was a bit more limited in their game on Tuesday. They came up short against Fuquay - Varina, falling 20-1. The loss continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their meetings with the Bengals: they've now lost seven in a row.
Clayton pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Southeast Raleigh, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Southeast Raleigh's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Clayton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Southeast Raleigh, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 strikeouts. Will Clayton keep running through batters, or will Southeast Raleigh buck the trend?
Everything went Clayton's way against Southeast Raleigh in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Clayton made off with a 19-2 victory. Does Clayton have another victory up their sleeve, or will Southeast Raleigh turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
