The Center Hill Mustangs will challenge the Lafayette Commodores at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Center Hill will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Last Saturday, Center Hill made easy work of Clarksdale and carried off a 13-3 win. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matches by ten runs or more this season.
Center Hill got a big performance out of Malachi Howze, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Brunetz, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Center Hill was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Lafayette suffered their closest loss since April 16, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of Corinth by a score of 4-2. The Commodores have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Lafayette also got a good showing from Brett Williams, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Williams has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Lafayette saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Collin Waldrip, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Center Hill pushed their record up to 4-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 9.75 hits in those games compared to only 5.5 in the others. As for Lafayette, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.
Lafayette's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Center Hill has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. It's a different story for Lafayette, though, as they've only averaged .349. Will they be able to contain Center Hill's hitters?
Center Hill came up short against Lafayette when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 12-9. Will Center Hill have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
