The Clinton Gaels will head out to square off against the Auburn Rockets at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Clinton's win against Oakmont Regional wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Gaels had just enough and edged out the Spartans 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Gaels have posted since April 10th.
Brian Silvester
| 05/20/26 vs Oakmont Regional | 2 |
| 05/18/26 @ Fitchburg | 6 |
| 05/16/26 @ Lunenburg | 1 |
Grady Frisch and Brian Silvester did most of the damage at the plate: Frisch went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Silvester went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Silvester has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Meanwhile, Auburn had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 win over the Titans. That's two games straight that the Rockets have won by exactly two runs.
Auburn got a big performance out of Jayden Ortiz, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Another player making a difference was Rex Vartabedian, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Clinton's record is now 13-4-1. As for Auburn, their record now sits at 12-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Clinton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Auburn struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Clinton suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Auburn in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Can the Gaels avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
