The South Lamar Stallions will take on the Sulligent Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. South Lamar is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
South Lamar's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Holy Spirit Catholic as they made off with a 10-0 win. That's two games straight that the Stallions have won by exactly ten runs.
Thacker Richards
| 03/31/26 @ Holy Spirit Catholic | 8 |
| 03/13/26 vs Lamar County | 4 |
| 03/19/26 vs Pickens County | 3 |
| 03/10/26 vs Berry | 3 |
| 03/05/26 vs Fayette County | 2 |
Thacker Richards made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Mason Hardin and Jack McNees did most of the damage at the plate: Hardin went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while McNees went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Hardin has become a key player for South Lamar: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Gunner Parker, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
South Lamar always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Holy Spirit Catholic only posted an OBP of .200.
Meanwhile, Sulligent fell victim to Smithville and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They lost 10-0 to the Seminoles. The shutout was out of character for the Blue Devils seeing as the last time the team failed to score was back in February.
Sulligent saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Will Barnett, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.
South Lamar's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-6. As for Sulligent, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-8 record this season.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. South Lamar has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. However, it's not like Sulligent struggles in that department as they've averaged .443. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
South Lamar got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 against Sulligent by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Stallions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
