The Blanchester Wildcats will face off against the Clark Montessori Cougars at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If Blanchester beats Clark Montessori with 11 runs on Wednesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Wildcats blew past Felicity-Franklin 11-2 last Monday. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now won five in a row.
Sammy Roush
| 04/28/25 @ Felicity-Franklin | 14 |
| 04/23/25 @ Clermont Northeastern | 11 |
| 04/16/25 @ Bethel-Tate | 5 |
| 04/12/25 vs Clermont Northeastern | 5 |
| 04/01/25 vs Bethel-Tate | 13 |
Sammy Roush made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out 14 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caleb Sears, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cole Mueller, who went 1-for-5 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Blanchester always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Clark Montessori never got on the board in their matchup last Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against New Miami on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Vikings.
Like Blanchester, Clark Montessori also got a great game from a two-way player: Garvin Dixon. On the mound, he struck out 16 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and only one walk). Dixon has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Clark Montessori's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-7 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Ethan Ernst was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base. Clark Montessori is 7-1 when Ernst posts two or more runs, but 2-6 otherwise. Mason Hunt was another key player, going 1-for-2 with four RBI and one double.
Clark Montessori is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Blanchester, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Blanchester has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .461. However, it's not like Clark Montessori struggles in that department as they've averaged .482. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Blanchester took their win against Clark Montessori in their previous matchup back in May of 2018 by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
