The Hernando Tigers will head out on the road to challenge the Lafayette Commodores at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Hernando is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Hernando beat Oxford 9-4.
Reece Canizaro looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in six consecutive appearances.
Axton Westmoreland
| 04/04/25 @ Oxford | 3 |
| 03/29/25 vs Collinsville | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ Southaven | 2 |
| 03/01/25 @ Tupelo | 2 |
| 03/01/25 vs Jackson Prep | 2 |
At the plate, Axton Westmoreland was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Romine, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Lafayette made sure to put some runs up on the board against New Hope on Friday. The Commodores were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the Trojans. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Commodores' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Brett Williams looked comfortable as he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Easton Thompson, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Tanner Harris also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Hernando's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-8-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Lafayette, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season.
Lafayette's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hernando hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .312. It's a different story for Lafayette, though, as they've only averaged .241. Will they be able to contain Hernando's hitters?
Hernando beat Lafayette 10-7 in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
