Memphis Central is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Kirby is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. Memphis Central will host Kirby at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Memphis Central gave up the first runs on Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 17-5 margin over Fayette Ware.
Joshua Thurmon was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted over his last four matches. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was his first of the season.
Patrick Ryan
| 03/27/25 @ Fayette Ware | 3 |
| 03/19/25 @ St. Benedict at Auburndale | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Middle College | 2 |
| 03/12/25 vs Trezevant | 1 |
| 03/11/25 @ Melrose | 1 |
In other batting news, Beiker Leon and Patrick Ryan did most of the damage at the plate: Leon went 4-for-5 with five RBI, two doubles, and one triple, while Ryan scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Ryan a new career-high. Orlando Jones was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Kirby made easy work of Melrose on Thursday and carried off an 18-12 victory. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Golden Wildcats recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
The team relied heavily on Brajan Chavarria, who scored three runs and stole five bases while going 3-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Kirby's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-1 (and 1-4 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Terrence Stephenson, who scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Kirby was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .625. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Memphis Central is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. The win got Kirby back to even at 5-5.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Memphis Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .351. However, it's not like Kirby struggles in that department as they've averaged .352. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Memphis Central took their victory against Kirby when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2. Will Memphis Central repeat their success, or does Kirby has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
