The Malcolm Clippers will venture away from home to square off against the Plattsmouth Blue Devils at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Malcolm will be looking to extend their current 12-game winning streak.
Malcolm barely beat Wahoo/Bishop Neumann the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Clippers put the hurt on the Warriors with a sharp 10-0 victory on Thursday. Considering the Clippers have won ten matches by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Mason Wisnieski was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carson Frank, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Chase Smith was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Malcolm always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wahoo/Bishop Neumann only posted an OBP of .111.
Meanwhile, Plattsmouth posted their closest win since March 31st on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Nebraska City. The Blue Devils haven't had any issues with the Pioneers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Plattsmouth also got a great performance from Jacob Longton as he struck out six batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Those six strikeouts gave Longton a new career-high.
At the plate, Cody Demboski was incredible, going 3-for-6 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eli Winters, who went 1-for-6 with two runs and one RBI.
Malcolm's victory was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for Plattsmouth, their record now sits at 9-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Malcolm has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Plattsmouth struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Malcolm took their victory against Plattsmouth when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Clippers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
