The Clayton Comets will square off against the Cleveland Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Clayton comes in on three and Cleveland on four.
On Thursday, it was close, but Clayton sidestepped Faith Christian for a 2-1 win.
Jackson Clinard got the start for Clayton and what a start it was: he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Clinard has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Clayton's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Davis Duty, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Cleveland put their dominant pitchers on display in the team's fourth consecutive shutout on Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand South Garner a 10-0 shutout. The Rams might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 contests by six runs or more this season.
Tanner Murphy looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Henry Blackman was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Cam Dean was another key player, going 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Cleveland 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 Garner only posted an OBP of .238.
Clayton's win bumped their record up to 15-6. As for Cleveland, their victory bumped their record up to 15-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Clayton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Clayton beat Cleveland 5-0 in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Do the Comets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
