Pearl hasn't had much luck against Northwest Rankin recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Pirates will host the Cougars at 6:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Pearl sitting on three straight victories and Northwest Rankin on 11.
If Pearl beats Northwest Rankin with five runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Pirates came out on top against Richland by a score of 5-2 on Saturday.
Lilly Byrd spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on seven hits and racked up 11 Ks.
On the hitting side, Pearl saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shiloh Wells, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. What's more, Wells posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in March. Skylar Brumfield also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Northwest Rankin faced Madison Central in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Cougars walked away with an 8-3 win over the Jaguars.
Bella Pierce looked comfortable as she tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brooke Smith, who scored two runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Laney May was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Northwest Rankin's victory was their 22nd straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 20-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 9.9 runs this season. As for Pearl, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Pearl might still be hurting after the 15-0 defeat they got from Northwest Rankin in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Pirates have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
