The Adrian Blackhawks will take on the Mt. Vernon Mountaineers in a tournament on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Adrian sitting on three straight victories and Mt. Vernon on four.
On Tuesday, Adrian beat Lamar 9-4.
Lizzie Clifton
| 04/22/25 vs Lamar | 3 |
| 04/17/25 @ Midway | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Versailles | 4 |
Lizzie Clifton was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over four innings pitched. Clifton was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. She has been hot recently, having posted three or more hits the last three times she's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Harlee Newkirk, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to hits, as she's now got three or more in each of the last three games she's played.
Adrian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .379 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon got themselves on the board against Sarcoxie on Monday, but Sarcoxie never followed suit. They blew past the Bears 15-0. The Mountaineers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matches by seven runs or more this season.
Mt. Vernon got a massive performance out of Cheyenne Bieber, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-2. That's the most RBI Bieber has posted over her last 11 games. The team also got some help courtesy of Rae Downing, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Mt. Vernon's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Adrian, their win bumped their record up to 7-9.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Adrian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .472. However, it's not like Mt. Vernon struggles in that department as they've averaged .448. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Adrian suffered a grim 10-3 defeat to Mt. Vernon when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Blackhawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
