Central is a perfect 4-0 against Lighthouse Private Christian Academy since April of 2023 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Jaguars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Stingrays at 6:30 p.m. Central knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past seven games -- so hopefully Lighthouse Private Christian Academy likes a good challenge.
Central will bounce into Monday's matchup after beating Escambia, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. The Jaguars were the clear victors by a 17-2 margin over the Gators on Friday. Considering the Jaguars have won six contests by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Shelby Zigler
| 03/13/26 vs Escambia | 1 |
| 03/03/26 vs Rocky Bayou Christian | 1 |
| 02/24/26 @ Laurel Hill | 0 |
Shelby Zigler made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
In other batting news, Lexi Simmons was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Brooklynne Caraway was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 15 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Lighthouse Private Christian Academy). They had just enough and edged out Bay 45-44. That's two games straight that the Stingrays have won by just one run.
Fianna Kilpatrick and Hannah Golly did most of the damage at the plate: Kilpatrick got on base in seven of her nine plate appearances with one home run, seven stolen bases, and six runs, while Golly got on base in all nine of her plate appearances with 11 stolen bases, eight runs, and four RBI. With that strong performance, Kilpatrick is now averaging an impressive 3.3 RBI per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Meyers, who got on base in eight of her nine plate appearances with nine stolen bases, six runs, and one double.
Central's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-0. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Lighthouse Private Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .447. However, it's not like Lighthouse Private Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .414. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Central's way against Lighthouse Private Christian Academy in their previous meeting two weeks ago, as Central made off with a 20-0 victory. Will the Jaguars repeat their success, or do the Stingrays have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
