The Holly Wildcats will take on the McClave Cardinals at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
McClave will be up against a hot Holly team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Wildcats walked away with an 11-6 victory over Stratton on Tuesday. With that win, the Wildcats brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Devin Eaton
| 04/08/25 @ Stratton | 6 |
| 03/28/25 @ Eads | 4 |
| 03/25/25 vs Crowley County | 4 |
| 03/22/25 vs Dayspring Christian Academy | 5 |
| 05/11/24 @ Flatirons Academy | 3 |
| + 2 more games |
Devin Eaton was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Edson Noriega was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Colton Deforest was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases.
Holly always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They are 3-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when McClave faced off against Cheyenne Wells on Tuesday. The Cardinals put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 10-4 victory. Considering the Cardinals have won six games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Drew Howe, who scored a run and stole four bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Lawton Annen, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two RBI and one double.
Holly's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-6. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for McClave, their win bumped their record up to 8-2.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Holly hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. However, it's not like McClave struggles in that department as they've averaged .390. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Holly was able to grind out a solid victory over McClave in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 8-4. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
