Baseball Game Preview: Olive Branch Conquistadors vs. Center Hill Mustangs

Olive Branch hasn't had much luck against Center Hill recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Olive Branch Conquistadors will look to defend their home field against the Center Hill Mustangs at 7:00 p.m.

Olive Branch had been on a three-game streak of scoring at least ten runs, but Center Hill put an end to it on Tuesday. Olive Branch wound up with the same score they had in their last game (11-1), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. The match marked their lowest-scoring game so far this season.

For Center Hill's part, Cooper McCool made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched. What's more, McCool gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in February. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with five RBI and one double. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in RBI.

In other batting news, Center Hill let Mac Atkins and Whitman Key run wild. Atkins scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Key went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Center Hill is undefeated when Key posts two or more runs, but 4-8 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Brunetz, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

Center Hill always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .562. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Olive Branch's defeat dropped their record down to 9-3. As for Center Hill, their victory bumped their record up to 7-8.