The Clovis Cougars will face off against the Oakdale Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Neither Clovis nor Oakdale posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Clovis is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Desert Oasis just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Saturday. They took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Diamondbacks. The contest marked the Cougars' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Clovis got a good showing from Jackson Efird, who pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Efird has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Clovis saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Deagan Rose, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Maddox Merrill also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Oakdale and Central Catholic, and Central Catholic kept the tradition alive. Oakdale fell 5-2 to Central Catholic on Saturday.
Jordan Haver made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Clovis' loss dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Oakdale, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Clovis has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .435. However, it's not like Oakdale struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Clovis was able to grind out a solid win over Oakdale when the teams last played back in March of 2024, winning 5-0. Does Clovis have another victory up their sleeve, or will Oakdale turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
