A feisty cat fight will be fought as Hernando Tigers face off against Northwest Rankin Cougars at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Hernando is headed into the contest having just suffered their closest defeat since February 22nd on Tuesday. They fell just short of Grenada by a score of 6-4. The loss continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Chargers: they've now lost three in a row.
Hernando got a good showing from Coen McKnight, who pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
On the hitting side, Luke Romine was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Preston Johnson was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Northwest Rankin came tearing into Tuesday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Bulldogs by a score of 11-8.
Dalton Pixley looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Northwest Rankin is 3-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 3-6 otherwise.
At the plate, Northwest Rankin let Jackson Meehan and Gavin Phillipson run wild. Meehan scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 1-for-3, while Phillipson scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-3. Those three stolen bases gave Phillipson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Ladner, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Northwest Rankin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Hernando's defeat dropped their record down to 6-8. As for Northwest Rankin, their victory bumped their record up to 6-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hernando has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Northwest Rankin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hernando beat Northwest Rankin 10-6 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Does Hernando have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northwest Rankin turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
