The Centralia Orphans will head out on the road to square off against North Clay/Clay City at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Centralia is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.
If Centralia beats North Clay/Clay City with three runs on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Orphans sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over Mt. Carmel on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Orphans have posted since April 8th.
Nolan Pryor spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Rhett Lambert was excellent, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
North Clay/Clay City came out on top against Charleston on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run seventh inning. North Clay/Clay City blew past Charleston 8-2. North Clay/Clay City might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by six runs or more this season.
North Clay/Clay City also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Jack Compton gave up only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ian Jones, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Carder Walden was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
North Clay/Clay City is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 13 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs over those games. As for Centralia, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-8.
Centralia's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. The Orphans have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Clay/Clay City, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Centralia continue to outrun the ball?
Centralia beat North Clay/Clay City 5-2 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Orphans repeat their success, or do North Clay/Clay City have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
