The Petal Panthers will head out to take on the Oak Grove Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Petal knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past six matches -- so hopefully Oak Grove likes a good challenge.
Petal is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Purvis, who was ranked third at the time (Petal was ranked 11th). The Panthers fell just short of the Tornadoes by a score of 12-10 on Saturday. The Panthers have struggled against the Tornadoes recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
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. Jaylen Lee was another key player, going 1-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
Meanwhile, Oak Grove was not the first on the board last Friday, but they got there more often. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Brandon, sneaking past 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory 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. Another player making a difference was Caleb Pfaff, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Oak Grove pushed their record up to 18-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Petal, their loss dropped their record down to 18-6.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Petal has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. However, it's not like Oak Grove struggles in that department as they've averaged .476. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Petal might still be hurting after the 7-1 defeat they got from Oak Grove when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
