The Richland Rangers will venture away from home to challenge the Lawrence County Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Richland barely beat McComb the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Rangers never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 17-0 win on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rangers.
Tucker Evans made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Richland is 5-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-8 otherwise. Evans was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season.
Noah Aldridge
| 04/08/25 @ McComb | 2 |
| 04/04/25 @ Raymond | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs McComb | 1 |
| 03/25/25 vs Raymond | 1 |
In other batting news, Richland got a massive performance out of Noah Aldridge, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave Aldridge a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Bryce Shows, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Richland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .793. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lawrence County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They blew past Raymond 18-1 on Tuesday. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by eight runs or more this season.
Justin Walker made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 4.2 innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles.
In other batting news, Lawrence County let Josh Sandifer and Grey Boyd run wild. Sandifer went 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Boyd scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of LaFreddrick Harris, who scored three runs while going 1-for-2.
Lawrence County is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-10 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Richland, their record now sits at 8-9.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Richland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. However, it's not like Lawrence County struggles in that department as they've averaged .481. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Richland couldn't quite get it done against Lawrence County in their previous matchup last Tuesday as they fell 6-3. Can the Rangers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
