For the first time this season, West Marion will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup on Friday. They will venture away from home to face off against the Perry Central Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. West Marion is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
West Marion is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Oak Grove, who was ranked 14th at the time (West Marion was ranked seventh). West Marion was the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Oak Grove on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won six matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Izzy Pittman spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Aliyah Graham and Gracie Odom did most of the damage at the plate: Graham went 4-for-5 with one home run and two RBI, while Odom scored a run while going 3-for-4. What's more, Odom posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in February of 2024. Caydance Brumfield was another key player, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4.
West Marion always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .707. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Perry Central). They put the hurt on Heidelberg with a sharp 24-10 win on Thursday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bulldogs as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Kenlynn Hinton was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hinton was even better at the plate, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Perry Central got a massive performance out of Peyton Merrill, who scored four runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Macy Sylvester also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
West Marion's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 10.5 runs. As for Perry Central, the victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-4-1.
Perry Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: West Marion has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Perry Central, though, as they've been averaging 10.3 hits. Given West Marion's sizable advantage in that area, Perry Central will need to find a way to close that gap.
West Marion took their win against Perry Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for West Marion since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
