The Clinton Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Evansville Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Clinton's pitching crew has only allowed 2.4 runs per game this season, so Evansville's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Clinton took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They put the hurt on South Beloit with a sharp 14-0 victory. Considering the Cougars have won eight matchups by more than eight runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Keylee Vander Pal
| 05/04/26 vs South Beloit | 4 |
| 04/30/26 vs Delavan-Darien | 3 |
| 04/25/26 vs Racine Horlick | 3 |
| 04/25/26 vs Big Foot | 3 |
| 03/28/26 vs Stratford | 2 |
Clinton let Maycee Morris and Keylee Vander Pal run wild. Morris went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Vander Pal went 1-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave Vander Pal a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Layla Brown, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs.
Clinton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Beloit only posted an OBP of .118.
Meanwhile, Evansville hadn't done well against Jefferson recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Blue Devils came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 8-5.
Summer Larson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brooklyn Maves and Bella Tway did most of the damage at the plate: Maves went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run, while Tway went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Katelyn Ross, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Clinton's win was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Evansville, their record now sits at 9-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Clinton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Evansville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Clinton skirted past Evansville 1-0 in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Blue Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
