Baseball Game Preview: Bradley Central Bears vs. Cleveland Blue Raiders

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Previous Games

05/12/24 - Away	2-1 W
03/29/24 - Away	5-2 W
03/19/24 - Home	4-2 W
05/06/23 - Away	7-0 W
05/05/23 - Away	10-3 W
+ 5 more games

Bradley Central is 8-2 against Cleveland since March of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Bradley Central Bears will welcome the Cleveland Blue Raiders at 7:00 p.m. Bradley Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.

Thursday just wasn't the day for Bradley Central's offense. They lost 10-0 to Umatilla on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Bears have suffered since March 4th.

Bradley Central saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Humble, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cleveland, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with a 9-5 victory over Yough on Friday.

Braleyn Pratt was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Those hits were his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kason McGowan, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.

Cleveland pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 9.8 hits in those games compared to only five in the others. As for Bradley Central, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season.

Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bradley Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've averaged .433. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Bradley Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Cleveland when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. Will Bradley Central repeat their success, or does Cleveland have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.