The Vardaman Rams will face off against the Pine Grove Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Vardaman sitting on four straight victories and Pine Grove on three.
Vardaman is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They never let West Lowndes get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. Considering the Rams have won seven games by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Makayla Johnson
| 04/17/26 vs West Lowndes | 5 |
| 04/17/26 vs West Lowndes | 2 |
| 04/13/26 vs Bruce | 4 |
| 04/10/26 vs Eupora | 3 |
| 04/09/26 @ Houston | 0 |
| + 2 more games |
Hannah Lowe and Makayla Johnson made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Lowe tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Johnson tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March. At the plate, Lowe went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Johnson got on base in both of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Lowe has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Haley Parker, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Adley Teasley, who earned one RBI, one run, and two stolen bases.
Vardaman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .870. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Pine Grove took on Potts Camp on Monday. The Panthers won by a run and slipped past the Cardinals 7-6. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by just one run.
Edie Chapman looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Kaylee Crawley was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Lyndi Holloway was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
The victory got Pine Grove back to even at 14-14. As for Vardaman, their win bumped their record up to 12-9.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Vardaman has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Pine Grove struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Vardaman might still be hurting after the 13-0 defeat they got from Pine Grove when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Rams avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
