Warriors
| 04/11/25 @ Brandon | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs Brandon | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Northwest Rankin | 10 |
| 04/01/25 @ Northwest Rankin | 4 |
| 03/28/25 vs Meridian | 20 |
| + 18 more games |
The Oak Grove Warriors will face off against the Petal Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Oak Grove is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Oak Grove will bounce into Tuesday's match after beating Brandon, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Warriors came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bulldogs on Friday, sneaking past 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Warriors have posted since March 7th.
Gage Thompson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Eric Booth Jr was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Caleb Pfaff was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Petal faced Purvis in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Panthers fell just short of the Tornadoes by a score of 12-10. The Panthers' loss signaled the end of their six-game winning streak.
Fischer Howell made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and fired off two home runs and one stolen base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylen Lee, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
Oak Grove is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Petal, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Oak Grove has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Petal struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Oak Grove's way against Petal in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Oak Grove made off with a 7-1 win. Do the Warriors have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
