The Northwest Rankin Cougars will head out on the road to square off against the Lewisburg Patriots at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Northwest Rankin is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
It was a proper cat-fight when Northwest Rankin took on Meridian on Thursday. Northwest Rankin blew past Meridian 15-1. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won ten contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Bella Pierce looked comfortable as she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Northwest Rankin let Brooke Smith and Hannah Sullivan run wild. Smith scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3, while Sullivan scored two runs while going 4-for-4. What's more, Smith posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in February. Peyton Barham also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Northwest Rankin was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .519. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .318 or higher in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lewisburg, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Northpoint Christian on Thursday, sneaking past 6-5. The victory continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won four in a row.
The team relied heavily on Anna Etter, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Lindey Willhite, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Northwest Rankin's win was their 18th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for Lewisburg, their record now sits at 13-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Northwest Rankin hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Lewisburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Northwest Rankin took their win against Lewisburg in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 14-4. Does Northwest Rankin have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lewisburg turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
