The New Richmond Lions will venture away from home to square off against the Clermont Northeastern Rockets at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (New Richmond has three straight wins, Clermont Northeastern has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Monday, New Richmond made easy work of Batavia and carried off a 13-2 victory. Considering the Lions have won four contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Izzie Carroll was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Piper Willis, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and four RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. Isabelle Rae Hartigan was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four runs, one double, and one RBI.
New Richmond always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Clermont Northeastern's offense. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Williamsburg on Wednesday.
Like New Richmond, Clermont Northeastern also got a great game from a two-way player: Jenna Brown. She pitched six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Brown was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles.
New Richmond's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Clermont Northeastern, their loss dropped their record down to 6-8.
Everything went New Richmond's way against Clermont Northeastern when the teams last played back in March of 2023, as New Richmond made off with an 18-7 win. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Rockets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
