Cleveland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell 4-1 to the South Johnston Trojans. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest runs Cleveland has scored all season.
Lani Pennica spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Cleveland saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Karsyn Hudacky, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
On South Johnston's side, Ava Strickland made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. Strickland was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Reese Penny, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Emma Williford, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Cleveland's defeat dropped their record down to 12-7. As for South Johnston, the win (which was their 15th in a row) raised their record to 18-1.
Cleveland will look to defend their home field on Friday against South Garner at 7:00 p.m. South Garner has struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.55 runs per game on average), something Cleveland will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for South Johnston, they will head out on the road to square off against West Johnston at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. South Johnston is looking to tack on another W to their nine-game streak on the road.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
