Baseball Game Preview: Winnfield Tigers vs. Ruston Bearcats

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Winnfield Tigers face off against Ruston Bearcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Winnfield took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Natchitoches Central, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Winnfield won by a run and slipped past Natchitoches Central 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted since April 1, 2024.

Jacob Whisonant was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI. That stolen base was his first of the season.

Daniel Martin

Runs

02/25/25 vs Natchitoches Central	2
02/22/25 @ Downsville	2
02/20/25 vs Choudrant	2
02/15/25 @ Bunkie	1
02/14/25 vs Grant	1
+ 1 more games

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Daniel Martin, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Winnfield is 2-1 when Martin posts two or more runs, but 1-4 otherwise.

While Ruston didn't have the best season last year (they finished 11-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top against Tioga by a score of 5-1 on Monday. The win continues a trend for the Bearcats in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won four in a row.

Winnfield pushed their record up to 3-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Ruston, their record is now 8-6.