The Clinton Arrows will venture away from home to challenge the Hernando Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Clinton's victory against Brookhaven wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Arrows sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over the Panthers on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Arrows in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won four in a row.
Jack Grove looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ethan Dodson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Stone Crain, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Hernando entered their tilt with Pontotoc on Friday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 10-9 W against the Warriors.
Josh Pe?a was incredible, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, two doubles, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Donavan Dickson, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Hernando kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Clinton's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-7. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Hernando, their record now sits at 19-8-1.
Both Clinton and Hernando just can't seem to miss. The Arrows have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Hernando struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Clinton couldn't quite finish off Hernando when the teams last played back in May of 2017 and fell 2-0. Can the Arrows avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
