The Cleveland Central Wolves will venture away from home to square off against the Yazoo County Panthers at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Cleveland Central had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt Lake Cormorant on Monday. Cleveland Central blew past Lake Cormorant 10-3. The victory was nothing new for the Wolves as they're now sitting on four straight.
Taliyah Thomas was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Katie Waldbieser also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Yazoo County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Ridgeland a 15-0 shutout on Monday. That looming 15-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.
Lilly Andrews was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Minely Crozier, who fired off three home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Anna Kiley Leal was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Yazoo County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ridgeland only posted an OBP of .182.
Cleveland Central pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Yazoo County, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-3 record this season.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Cleveland Central hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Yazoo County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Cleveland Central skirted past Yazoo County 9-8 in their previous matchup on Friday. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cleveland Central since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
