Baseball Game Preview: Petal Panthers vs. West Jones Mustangs

The Petal Panthers are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game this season. they will take on the West Jones Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Petal will be strutting in after a victory while West Jones will be coming in after a defeat.

Petal is headed into the game having just posted their biggest win since April 4, 2024 on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 13-3 margin over Harrison Central. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Red Rebels recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.

Cooper Giger looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits.

At the plate, Tanner Beliveau and Fischer Howell did most of the damage at the plate: Beliveau fired off three home runs and nine RBI while going 4-for-4, while Howell fired off two home runs, two stolen bases, and three runs while going 2-for-3. Dawson Dykes was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.

Petal always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.

Meanwhile, West Jones and Northeast Jones faced off in a cross-town battle on Thursday. West Jones came up short against Northeast Jones, falling 15-2.

West Jones' loss dropped their record down to 1-1. As for Petal, their record is now 2-0.

Petal came out on top in a nail-biter against West Jones in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Petal since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.