The Lexington Tigers will face off against the McNairy Central Bobcats at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Lexington sitting on five straight victories and McNairy Central on four.
On Tuesday, Lexington needed a bit of extra time to put away Jackson South Side. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over the Hawks.
Holly Bartholomew and Lane Huskey did most of the damage at the plate: Bartholomew scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-5, while Huskey scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits Bartholomew has posted since back in April of 2024. Kinley Melton was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask McNairy Central). They blew past Jackson North Side 22-0 on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Kenli Bingham and Chanley Steele were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Bingham tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Steele pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Bingham scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances, while Steele scored a run while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
In other batting news, McNairy Central let Bailee Shelton and Haylee Wilson run wild. Shelton scored two runs while going 2-for-2, while Wilson went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and four RBI. Those hits marked the first that Wilson got this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Paige Mercer, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
McNairy Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .812. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
McNairy Central pushed their record up to 13-6 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Lexington, their record is now 19-8-2.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lexington hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .342. However, it's not like McNairy Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .417. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Lexington's way against McNairy Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Lexington made off with a 9-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
