It may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Clover ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Nation Ford Falcons 10-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since April 1st.
Carson Politsch was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Justin Cox
| 04/22/26 @ Nation Ford | 3 |
| 04/13/26 @ Indian Land | 1 |
In other pitching news, Justin Cox looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Clover is 4-2 when Cox allows one or fewer earned runs, but 8-9 otherwise.
Back at the plate, Aiden Smith was excellent, going 3-for-6 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Thomas Hardwick, who went 2-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
The victory made it two in a row for Clover and bumps their season record up to 12-11. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Nation Ford, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 15-8 record this season.
We've got plenty of inter-region action coming up soon. Clover is set to challenge their familiar foe Catawba Ridge at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, Nation Ford will square off against rival Fort Mill at 7:15 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
