The Kirby Cougars will take on the Memphis Central Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Memphis Central will be up against a hot Kirby squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Everything went Kirby's way against Melrose on Thursday as Kirby made off with an 18-12 win.
Brajan Chavarria
| 03/07/25 @ Hamilton | 6 |
| 03/27/25 @ Melrose | 5 |
| 03/25/25 @ Overton | 4 |
| 03/24/25 @ Middle College | 3 |
| 03/18/25 @ Germantown | 2 |
The team relied heavily on Brajan Chavarria, who scored three runs and stole five bases while going 3-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Kirby's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 4-1 (and 1-4 when he doesn't). Terrence Stephenson was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Kirby always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .812. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Memphis Central entered their tilt with Fayette Ware on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 17-5 victory.
Joshua Thurmon was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted over his last four matches. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Memphis Central let Beiker Leon and Patrick Ryan run wild. Leon went 4-for-5 with five RBI, two doubles, and one triple, while Ryan scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Ryan a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Yates, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Kirby pushed their record up to 5-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.3 runs over those games. As for Memphis Central, their record now sits at 9-3.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Kirby hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Memphis Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kirby suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Memphis Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Kirby avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
