The Columbiana Clippers will head out on the road to challenge the Maplewood Rockets at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Thursday, Columbiana got the win against Southeast by a conclusive 14-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Clippers.
Addison Brode and Caitlynn Pleska made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Brode tossed five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Meanwhile, Pleska pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. At bat, Brode went 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Pleska got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Columbiana let Kyla Hogan and Maryn Hepler run wild. Hogan went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs, while Hepler went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That's the most hits Hogan has posted since back in April. Ella Dota was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs.
Columbiana was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .469. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in 17 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Maplewood). They put the hurt on Aquinas with a sharp 19-2 victory on Wednesday.
Emily Perline and Addison Marker were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Perline struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Marker tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Perline went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Marker went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple marked the first that Marker has hit this season.
In other batting news, Lauran Krieg was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI. Paige Clower also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Columbiana pushed their record up to 20-6 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Maplewood, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season.
Both Columbiana and Maplewood just can't seem to miss. The Clippers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Maplewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
