Brandon hasn't had much luck against Northwest Rankin recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. Brandon will be playing at home against Northwest Rankin at 6:45 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Brandon 3.5, Northwest Rankin 1.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Brandon is headed into the match having just suffered their closest defeat since March 28, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of Florence by a score of 5-3.
Brandon saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hannah Jo Sullivan, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Even though they lost, Brandon hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most two strikeouts in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Northwest Rankin had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.9 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Friday. They walked away with a 6-1 win over the Eagles.
Grace Wallis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Carlee Tubbs was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Peyton Barham, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Brandon's loss dropped their record down to 15-2. As for Northwest Rankin, their victory bumped their record up to 17-2.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Brandon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Northwest Rankin struggles in that department as they've averaged .356. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Brandon suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to Northwest Rankin in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Brandon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
