Baseball Game Preview: Clopton Hawks vs. Elsberry Indians

The Clopton Hawks will face off against the Elsberry Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Clopton's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three matches.

While Clopton didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-11), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Marion County 13-3 on Monday. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.

Jacob Harrelson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Harrelson was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season.

In other batting news, John Grillo was a standout: he scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game. Adam Lindsay was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

Clopton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Elsberry's offense. They lost 10-0 to Silex on Tuesday. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 5, 2021, but that streak is no more.

Clopton's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Elsberry, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Clopton was able to grind out a solid win over Elsberry when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 4-1. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Indians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.