The McDaniel Mountain Lions are taking a road trip to face off against the Cleveland Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. McDaniel is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
McDaniel had taken Ida B. Wells down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Tuesday. The Mountain Lions fell just short of the Guardians by a score of 5-4. The Mountain Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Amira Edwards spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Jesse Brill made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Rebecca Culp also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Cleveland was able to grind out a solid win over Grant on Tuesday, taking the game 12-7. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Warriors.
Jillian Lee made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one triple. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Cleveland let Clara Waldron and Vivian Schroedel run wild. Waldron went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Schroedel got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most stolen bases Waldron has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Simone Chance, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three RBI and one double.
Cleveland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Cleveland pushed their record up to 10-12 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for McDaniel, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. McDaniel hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .393. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've averaged .350. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
McDaniel suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Cleveland in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Mountain Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
