The Clay-Battelle Cee Bees will venture away from home to take on the Grafton Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Tygarts Valley hit Clay-Battelle with a five-run second inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Cee Bees came up short against the Bulldogs, falling 11-2. The Cee Bees haven't had much luck with the Bulldogs recently, as the team has come up short the last six times they've met.
Parker Bane
| 04/18/26 @ Paw Paw | 3 |
| 05/05/26 vs Tygarts Valley | 2 |
| 03/31/26 @ Turkeyfoot Valley Area | 2 |
| 03/24/26 @ Valley | 2 |
| 04/18/26 @ Paw Paw | 1 |
| + 3 more games |
Parker Bane made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Clay-Battelle's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 6-7 when he doesn't).
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Grafton made sure to put some runs up on the board against Lewis County on Monday. The Bearcats never let the Minutemen get on the board and left with a 12-0 win. Considering the Bearcats have won 13 games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Jacob Moats made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April.
In other pitching news, Ryan Boyles looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Carter Gillespie was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Another player making a difference was Cam Gray, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
Grafton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .655. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lewis County only posted an OBP of .263.
Grafton is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 18 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Clay-Battelle, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-8.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Clay-Battelle has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .515. However, it's not like Grafton struggles in that department as they've averaged .466. 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 baseball content.
